History of Blackjack

Casinos, be it online or landed, provide an endless array of game selections. However, among all the games that are available in casinos, there is one game that stood out from the rest in terms of simplicity to play and ease to follow the rules. This game gives the players some power over their cards and outcome of the game whether it will be a win or a loss. This game is none other than Blackjack. The game of blackjack is a very popular casino game. It is capable of attracting all level of players – from beginners all the way to professionals. Although it is as simple as hitting or getting as close as possible to 21, the game requires some skills to play as well, giving players the kind of challenge they are craving for.

There are many things in which the history can be gradually traced back, but the history of blackjack remains vague and cloudy to researchers. They can be hypothesis and assumptions, but that is only as far as it can get.

Roman, French, Spanish of Italian?

The Romans have always been known for their love for gambling, so it is not surprising that blackjack has been one of the gambling games linked to them. However, the evidences are vague, so the claim has not been confirmed. There are also claims that say that the origin of Blackjack is from a French game known as Quinze, or an Italian game known as Sette e Mezzo. The Spanish game Trente-un has also been quickly linked to Blackjack, as all these games used a system of number in the rules of play.

Similarity to Ventiuna

In Miguel de Cervantes’ Novelas Ejemplares, there is a mention of the rules of play of a game called Ventiuna, which also means “twenty-one” in Spanish. It talked about the a few card cheats, and while the rules of the game isn’t exactly identical to the blackjack that we have today, it is believed that it certainly was the first recorded foundation of modern blackjack. About a hundred later, the game of Vingt-et-Un from France was introduced and it was brought along by the French colonists over to North America where it became popular.

Many casino games and every other gambling game require luck in order to win. Blackjack however, has been created in a way that it took out plenty of the luck factor from the game and skills are instead incorporated, making it an essential aspect of this game. The fact that luck and skills are both needed in blackjack, is what that has made this game so interesting and fun to play.