BLACKJACK

 

Blackjack is a very common casino game that is based on a simple premise: try to get cards totaling as close to 21 as possible without going over that number. Blackjack dominates the casino scene both in live casinos and on online gambling web sites. It is the most widely played casino banking game on the planet. There are also variants to traditional Blackjack that abound for players looking for added excitement in their casino experience. It retains its massive popularity due to its mix of simplicity, skill and chance that isn't experienced in other popular games like Craps, Baccarat or Roulette.

 

Best Casinos to Play Blackjack Online

 

 

Blackjack History

 

Blackjack is distinguished from another card game popular in Britain called Black Jack, and while their names resemble each other, they are completely different in practice. Blackjack is also called 21 or pontoon. In other countries, it is typically called by their word for 21, such as ving-et-un in France. Blackjack has its roots in many countries, which most likely combined and homogenized into our modern version. Mainly called 21 throughout history, it has been present in many texts, images and even films.

The first known reference to Blackjack, or 21 as the case may be, is in the book Novelas Ejemplares by Miguel de Cervantes, who may be much more widely known as the author of Don Quixote. Miguel de Cervantes was a gambler himself and wrote a story within this book called Rinconete y Cortadillo about two scoundrels in Seville who become masters of cheating at the game of 21 among other card games. The main difference of note in Cervantes' version of 21 is that they played with a Spanish deck of baraja which is devoid of eights, nines and tens.

Besides this, he describes the object of the game as to try to get 21 without busting. He also details that the Ace card, as is the custom today, can represent a 1 or an 11. From the work of Cervantes, you can assume that 21 was popular at least by the 17th century, since that story was composed around 1601 or 1602. Cervantes lived in Casitilia, so it can be deduced that it was at least popular in his town and country, though likely elsewhere as well.

Indeed, there are references of later dates in regards to 21 in other forms of media. It is thought that 21 is a variant of other similar point-system games like Baccarat, which may have a more distinct and somewhat clearer history. It is thought that, like the number 9 in Baccarat, 21 is not arbitrary but descended down from customs and ceremonies of the cultures it developed in, similar to other prominent numbers in numerology. This is especially conceivable given the more common mix of religion, ceremony and common life in earlier times of society than compared to now.

Blackjack got its more common name in modern times through a surprisingly logical progression. Although some believe it is a reference to the weapon Blackjack, there is a more widely preferred explanation. As colonization began, 21 was also introduced to America much like any custom or other social practice. However, 21 was not very popular among the gambling houses at first, which is particularly strange given its massive ubiquity now. In an attempt to convince more people to play 21, many owners of gambling dens offered a special pay out bonus for those who got a hand consisting of the Ace of Spades and a black Jack, either the Jack of Clubs or Jack of Spades.

Soon, this hand became known as Blackjack, giving a method of explaining the game's name since a hand dealt initially of 21 is the best hand you can have. In modern times, the bonus payout for getting a Blackjack has been done away with and the definition for a Blackjack hand has since expanded. It is now sometimes called a natural. Now, in order to have a Blackjack, you need only an Ace and a ten value card, whether it be a 10, Jack, or any other face card. This is because these hands are equivalent in power, even if they don't literally have a black Jack present in the hand.

 

Blackjack Rules

 

A dealer and between one and seven people will be able to play Blackjack simultaneously. Everyone at the table, which is usually arc shaped to allow the dealer to be faced by all participants, plays against the dealer and trys to get as close to totaling their cards at 21 without breaking or busting, which means getting more than 21. Busting means you automatically lose the round.

There is a betting box that players put their bets into during each round. Everyone antes up a bet and is dealt their first hand of two cards. Unlike other card games there are no community cards in Blackjack and the hand sizes will often remain as small as the initial deal, with perhaps 1 but rarely more than 2 cards added in an attempt to reach 21. The chances of drawing more cards than this without exceeding 21 are very improbable. Everyone at the table is trying to get a higher score than the dealer, which is ideally 21.

Each card represents a different score. Numbered cards have a value equal to their designated number. All face cards are worth 10 (Jack, Queen, King) and Aces have a variable point value of either 1 or 11, depending on what the player wants. This can be especially handy in getting closer to 21 or avoiding busting when drawing more cards. After the bet is placed, players choose to either draw (also known as hit) or stay where they are, depending on if they are confident in the point total for their two cards or not.

If a player busts while taking cards on, they automatically lose and the bet is forfeited to the dealer. Blackjack becomes interesting because several players can have differing results against the dealer at one time. For instance, one player might bust, one might get 21 and beat the dealer and one might simply lose to the dealer by not having a high enough total. In the case of a tie, the player is given their bet back.

 

Blackjack Strategy

 

The basic strategy for Blackjack is to know when to stay. Even though you may have a relatively low point total, drawing a card can often mean certain failure since the odds of drawing a very high card like a ten-ranked card are good. There are four types of cards that mean 10 and four of each of them. Keep this in mind, especially when you have a point total in the mid to high teens, since you are tempting disaster by drawing too often. However, don't be afraid of hitting the deck since you can never be sure if the dealer has been dealt a particularly good hand or not.