Blackjack

The origin of Blackjack is contributed to many games, but the most commonly agreed ancestor is believed to be “vingt-et-un”. This was a French game played in the 18th century, having a lot of characteristics in common with Blackjack. The beginning of the 19th century brought the game to the USA. The game was not very popular at first and casinos tried to offer better payouts in order to attract gamblers. This is how the name “blackjack” was given to the game, deriving from the winning hand with the largest payout, consisted of Ace of spades and Jack of spades or clubs.

The game is played with up to seven players and the goal is to have a higher hand than the dealer without exceeding the pip count of 21. During the deal of the cards, the player has several options of how to play his hand. The rules of the game vary in different casinos, mostly in the manner how cards are handled and dealt either face up or down. The rules for the dealer to play his hand are strictly predetermined by the casino, in accordance to the cards he receives. The value of the cards is according to their face value, where all face-cards have the value of 10 and the Ace is either 1 or 11. Blackjack requires not only chance but also skill from the player and is thus the only casino game in which the advantage of the house could be beaten.

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