Blackjack is one of the oldest and most-loved casino games in the entire word; as you might expect, it is also the proud owner of a rich and colourful past which is full of intrigue and diversity.
Blackjack finds its earliest roots in seventeenth-century Europe; being first to believed to have originate in various French salons of noble Lords (although at this time in its history it was referred to “vingt-et-un” or “twenty-one”).
Although it was recorded officially first of all in France, the game appears to be rife throughout other European countries soon after; there are accounts of the game being played in Spain and Italy around this period also.
It was not until blackjack came to the United States that it truly reached its underlying potential; immigrants brought the game to the Americas, it then subsequently made its way West via pioneers and explorers.
It wasn’t until 1931 that a tiny town in Nevada legalised gambling that blackjack truly became known to the masses; this historical decision made by Las Vegas during the Great Depression was to become the single most important decision made in the entire history of casinos and blackjack.
Despite its initial popularity, blackjack did manage to fall out of popularity with the public. Casinos tried to alter the rules and house-edge of the game, following the publication of a blackjack strategy book by mathematician Edward O. Thorp.
This angered casino punters and the game fell into disrepute, however, once it was realised that Thorp’s strategies were far beyond the capabilities of most players, the casinos swiftly returned the game to its original format.
With the advent of the internet, blackjack quickly entered a new golden age; it now enjoys more players than ever and looks set to have a bright and prosperous future ahead of it…