Blackjack History
Have you ever wondered about the humble beginnings of your favorite casino game, blackjack? Where did it get its name? And how did it become one of the most popular casino games in the world today?
Blackjack has its name rooted in one of the gaming systems that pays extra to players who hold both the Jack and Ace of spades. The Jack of cards is the most important card of the game and since the color of Ace of spades is black, hence the name blackjack came about.
The exact origin of blackjack is up to now, still unknown. Many believe that it evolved from a couple of French games like the "French Ferme" or "Chemin de Fer". It was in the 18th century, when the game of blackjack was first played several casinos in France.
In the following century, blackjack arrived in the American shore and steadily gained popularity throughout the country, despite of anti-gambling policies in the country. During 1930s, gambling legalized in several states, led by Nevada. More and more states legalized gambling through the years that paved the way to blackjack's new height of popularity. Blackjack became one the casino owner's moneymakers. Patrons flock the casinos and brought huge profit to blackjack tables.
With the newfound popularity of blackjack, a number of books and articles where written about how the game is played and some basic tips to help the blackjack players sharpen their skills and become competitive. Blackjack strategies were developed and published, which became an instant hit among blackjack aficionados.
The first set of strategies to apply mathematical skills in blackjack was written by Roger Baldwin. The article was entitled "The Optimum Strategy in Blackjack" and was published in 1956 by the Journal of The American Statistical Association. Meanwhile in 1962, Professor Edward O. Thorp developed and refined basic strategies in blackjack. He also developed car counting strategies, which became one of the most beneficial strategies for blackjack players. He published the book entitled "Beat the Dealer", and became an instant best-seller.
These scientific approaches to playing blackjacks cause the casino owners to loose profit in their casino tables. With this, casino owners altered the rules of blackjack, which caused negative response among its blackjack patrons. Blackjack players refuse to play at casinos and this eventually force casino owners to bring back old blackjack rules. To prevent cheating and card counting, casino introduced 4, 5, 6 and even 8-decked games of blackjack.
Nowadays, even if the dealers became harder to beat, skills of blackjack players continue to improve. But win or loose, blackjack will always be one of the most-loved casino games in the world.
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