Casino Blackjack

The History of Blackjack

When thinking of betting and card games the mind automatically springs to Blackjack . From the first time this historical game was played it has taken tables by storm, and, with the popularity of logging on to an online casino rising every month, this trend looks set to continue.

The earliest evidence of Blackjack can be linked to 18^th Century France. Many historians believe blackjack originated from old French card games such as “Chemin de Fer” and “French Ferne”. These evolved through the years and and developed into a new game known as Vignt-et-un. The name “Blackjack” was commonly used because players who received a Jack of Spades for their first card and Ace of Spades for their second card were preferentially treated with the opportunity for greater winnings.

Popularity of the game continued to grow throughout the 18^th, 19^th and 20^th Centuries. In 1930’s  Neveda (the gambler’s Mecca) some casino owners saw the game as a means of drawing new players in to their casino’s. They marketed the game as a great money maker by awarding larger payouts for players lucky enough to have drawn the Jack of Spades.

However, things did not always run so smoothly. At the turn of the century American legislation meant that a ban was put on any form of gambling – termed prohibition. However, popular demand saw the creation of a network of underground casinos. Nevada bucked the trend appreciating that the money generated by legalised gambling would boost the economy and create new jobs. Soon after, other American states joined suit.

So, with gambling legalised once again, Blackjack’s popularity was set to grow. The Casino’s allowed the game to be available to large numbers of players, and the fears that players would no longer be interested with the game once it was legalised proved to be premature. Instead, the exact opposite occurred, as it quickly became one of the most popular casino games on the table. A number of books were written by so called “Blackjack experts” promoting the game, discussing the rules of the game but also looking scientifically at ways to beat the odds.

One such expert was Professor Edward O’ Thorpe, who developed a way to use calculated risk and probability to beat the dealer and win the game. This became known as card counting – the subject of many a dream and Hollywood movie since the inception of the moving image. The casinos, not to be outdone, reacted by changing the rules of the game, switching any advantage the player may once have had back to the casino.

As the years went on gamblers invented increasingly ingenious ways to try and crack the game and end up a winner. In the 1970’s the development of information technology led to Ken Uston creating a computer to help him cheat. Along with a team of players he successfully (if not honestly) managed to clean up with winnings and took home over $100,000. However, even with the help of an electronic brain, Blackjack remains a game of chance.