Blackjack, like other popular casino games, has a rich history. Yet, there’s still a debate about how people start playing these games. Anyone can play blackjack online now, but the game is one of the oldest gambling games ever. It has existed for hundreds of years, making it hard for people to trace its beginning. Although there’s still some debate to this day, there are also some things researchers have agreed on.
In this era, players who often play online blackjack only know the game by its current name. Yet, before acquiring the name blackjack and becoming the current version many know through casino play, the game had many other names.
In short, Twenty-One is a banking game. Players compete against another single player to win money, whom people call the dealer. In Twenty-One, the dealer starts the game, and they have advantages due to the rules regarding tied hands. They play without risking anything, and the dealer takes their opponent’s original wager upon winning.
In an informal Twenty-One game, the bank’s role rotates among players. In some versions, players might win the chance by buying or winning the role because they receive good hands.
Twenty-One was officially recorded in the 18th century under Vingt-et-Un or Vingt-Un (meaning 21 in French), showing its French provenance. The name Vingt-Un stuck for some time as the game spread throughout America and Britain, although due to some pronunciation, the card game is also known as Van John in England.
The name didn’t last long, as Britan learned the game as Pontoon after the First World War. Like Van John, the word Pontoon came from the original name Vingt-et-un, which sounded like Vontoon. Still, it wasn’t clear how it became Pontoon.
The name Pontoon remains an informal name of a British card game. A two-card count of 21 receives the name Pontoon. America replaced this original name with Blackjack in the early 20th century.
Some said the reason behind the name is a particular casino that paid extra when there was a natural ‘blackjack’ consisting of the Ace of Spades and a black Jack card. However, there’s no evidence to back up this story; it remains an unverified anecdote.
The closest proof came from gambling expert John Scarne, who claimed that 1919 blackjack tables in the USA displayed the inscription “Blackjack pays odds of 3 to 2.” However, Scarne acknowledged that it was only hearsay evidence and couldn’t provide actual documentation.
When Vingt-et-Un appeared, it was a form of entertainment for upper-class society. The card game was a socially respectable entertainment in 18th-century France.
A much earlier literary reference in Spain mentioned something similar to the card game a century before. Miguel Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, published Novelas ejemplares in 1613, which contained 12 short stories. One of his characters talks about his experience playing at veintiuna (Twenty-One), further denoting that Twenty-One is a money-related game.
In earlier versions, Cervantes mentioned that the Ace was counted as one point, not 11. This is the main difference between the older version of the black jack game and the modern version of online blackjack. Assigning 11 to the Ace makes for a more engaging game. It allows blackjack players to reach 21 using two cards instead of the typical three suggested by Cervantes.
Many might question why veintiuna, which Cervantes mentioned, isn’t discussed when discussing blackjack games. One possible reason is that it was a development of a much earlier blackjack game, Thirty-One, whose popularity spread throughout Western Europe from the mid-15th century.
The two games are identical; the main difference is the target count, which changes from 31 to 21. Thirty-One’s record dates back to the late 17th century. In the 1670s, a Nottinghamshire man named Francis Willughby kept a record containing descriptions of many games he had tried. He was specifically interested in card games and called Thirty-One the first and most simple game of cards.
Willughby’s note describes the game: Blackjack players are dealt three cards from the top of the deck and can choose to ‘stick’ or draw more cards as they wish until they either ‘stick’ or bust by exceeding the total face count of 31 points. Overall, the older blackjack rules are similar to modern blackjack.
Face cards have 10 points, while others keep their face value. An ace counts as one and not an optional 11. When a blackjack player can reach the exact number of 31, they’re called a hitter and win double their stake unless the dealer upcard reaches the same value.
Thirty-One first appeared in 1464, a French translation of an Italian monk sermon in 1440, known as St. Bernadine of Siena. It had also been mentioned in many lists from the period railing against gambling, suggesting it was a commonly played public game.
Thirty-One’s rules and basic strategy aren’t unique, but many games started adding some Thirty-One rules and gameplay to their own. Drawing to 31 is also a part of three gambling games in the 17th century, such as the English Bone-Ace, Flux et Trente-et-un, and French Belle, all included in Cotton’s Compleat Gamester of 1674 and Book of Games (1665) by Willughby.
Eventually, Vingt-et-Un made its way to North America in the 18th century. When it came to the 19th century, the card game couldn’t develop and spread in France, but it evolved and gained popularity in America. Legal gambling halls in New Orleans in 1820 would feature Vingt-et-Un. The rules remained older, unlike the current blackjack online game.
When the game entered the 20th century, Vingt-et-Un became 21 in Nevada. The name didn’t last long and was changed to blackjack in the same century. The card game rules also changed to follow Nevada Gaming Commission regulations, which formed the current blackjack game rules.
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Playing online blackjack is similar to its traditional gameplay. There will be two blackjack players in the game, each trying to beat the dealer by getting closer points to 21 than their opponent without exceeding the number. The closer the number is, the more chance there’s to win. They instantly beat the dealer when they get the exact 21 or a blackjack hand.
All cards use their face values; face cards are treated as a 10, while Ace Cards can be one or 11. Due to the nature of the Aces, they can be valuable to players in determining the total points. Players might also find a blackjack game with one or more decks.
Players initially receive two cards and then choose whether to draw another card to get a higher number (hit) or stay with their first cards combined value and let the dealer hit or stand. Blackjack rules slightly change depending on the blackjack game online variety, more decks also affect the gameplay. Some blackjacks allow players to protect their losses or multiply their hands according to their current card value.
When a blackjack occurs on a player’s hand or their hands’ combined value is exactly 21, they win outright and force the dealer to open their hands. If their hands are still far from 21, they can stand on their current count for a chance to go higher. Dealers will draw cards for the latter until the dealer’s face-up cards get above 17 or exceed 21. When multiple players join the same blackjack table, a player loses when their hands are weaker than the dealer’s card.
The basic strategy remains mostly the same, including in blackjack live. However, some blackjack variations offer different betting options. Some blackjack real money games include betting options like insurance bet, double down, half bet and pair-side bet. Single deck and multi decks blackjack are also played differently.
It’s crucial for blackjack players to understand how the game works, but understanding the number of decks at play is equally important. When compared, fewer decks tend to be more advantageous to a blackjack player. When playing online blackjack, and single-deck blackjack is available, it’s the best choice.
The reason is that the number of decks affects the house edge. Single-deck blackjacks tend to have the lowest house edge, and those with more decks, like a double deck or a six deck game, will have a higher house edge.
A player might want to know how to play blackjack online before spending real money. They must at least know the blackjack rules, be able to count cards, and have the basic strategy. Here are some tips and tricks for playing blackjack online for a more improved play.
Standing when a player’s hands’ combined value is between 12 and 16, and the dealer’s face-up card is two through six, is a basic strategy. It takes advantage of the high likelihood that the dealer will go bust when they have a weak upcard.
When a dealer shows a strong upcard, like seven through Ace, players should hit if their combined value is between 12 and 16, excluding pairs. This will improve the player’s hand to a more competitive level.
How players deal with their first two cards is essential. Between all the combinations, Aces and 8s are the perfect pairs. When a pair of Aces cards are dealt, or when players receive a pair of 8s, it’s always better to split them into two hands.
Splitting pairs tends to be advantageous, as when players split Aces, they’ll have two hands starting on 11. Split Aces increase a player’s chance of getting a solid hand. The same goes for splitting 8s, as it’ll help players avoid a potential weak hand of 16, which can be challenging.
