A Brief History of Blackjack

It is only natural for players to become curious about the history of Blackjack. Given the fact that it is one of the most popular casino card games of all time, one can't help but wonder how it all began.

As with most cared games the consensus is that Blackjack history originated in 15th century Europe. It's impossible to put too exact a date, but what is known is that a French card game called Vingt-et-un (roughly translated as 21) became widespread throughout France in the early 1700s. Whether this was Blackjack or a descendant is not clear, but its connection with the game as we know it today is evident.

Owing to its simplicity, Blackjack became very popular in continental Europe and was eagerly brought by the immigrants to the New World in the 1800s. The Americans also embraced the game, and the history of Blackjack would undergo significant changes, as it coincided with the rise of gambling in general in both east and west coast.

The early 1900s saw Blackjack going underground as the Prohibition took hold. The move backfired and as states began to relax its laws, the card game was incorporated in casinos, where it became one of the main attractions.

From the 1940s and 50s, the game attracted large crowds as competing casinos would offer various bonuses and incentives for players that got a natural (being dealt a 21). However, the history of Blackjack would be altered in the 1970s when the works of Ed Thorpe, Herbert Maisel, Wilbert Cantley among others, were published. In these books, notably Thorpe's Beat the Dealer, players were introduced to the concept of card counting, which not only eliminated the house edge, but gave it to the player.

The casinos would respond by playing the game with multiple decks, making card counting difficult, and also introducing other variants. Although card counting would become harder to do, Blackjack's popularity never waned.

By far the biggest innovation that has appeared so far in the history of Blackjack is online play. With the Internet, the wish of a lot of players to be able to play at home, and with people from all over the world, had become a reality. At the same time, online gambling opened the floodgates for players who share the same passion for the game to get together and discuss strategies and tactics.

Blackjack has gone far from its beginnings, but it still has ways to go. For as long as there are casinos and people wanting to pit their skills against fellow players and the dealer, this card game will always be around.