History of Blackjack
The game of blackjack is so old that its origins are still pretty unclear. It is assumed to have originated in France, in the 17th century and since then it was known as 21, or in French vingt et un. Being a simple game, it became popular very fast and it began to be played in the casinos in Russia as well. Being played by so many people in casinos or at home, people found more names to refer to this game. Blackjack was known under many names among which the most frequently used were Ochko – in Russia, pontoon, California aces and so on.
The old French version of blackjack was pretty different from the blackjack we are familiar with today. The aim of vingt et un was to get a natural or a 21 from the total of your cards but the dealing and betting were different from what we are used to today. The dealer would deal the cards in rounds and each dealing round would be followed by a round of betting. The dealers were more privileged than they are today as they were the only ones who could double down in case they had a natural and the players had to pay him triple.
After the French revolution, blackjack was brought to the US and it soon became the most widely dealt casino game. Until the 20th century gamblers had a lot of benefits for playing this profitable game. Back then, there were no government regulations needed in the policy of the casinos and players realized that it is possible to control the bets and the winning odds. After 1900 things have changed as gambling began to be considered a crime and this is when the gambling industry became an underground affair. But the more the authorities rejected gambling, the more infuriated gamblers were and thus, gambling had to be legalized again. Many stated were very strict and conservative and refused to accept gambling as a legal form of entertainment, but most states were glad about this great change. Las Vegas was the first place to be reborn and this is why today we regard it as the heart of gambling not only in the US, but in the whole world.
As it became legal, more and more people began to be interested in blackjack, especially scientists in the second half of the 20th century. They thought blackjack was not to be regarded as a simple game of mathematics, but rather as a game of skill and strategy. Many books and articles were written on blackjack strategies. Apart from this, there are many other factors that have contributed to the development of blackjack. The Italian game 7 and a half, which was played with face cards counting as halves and cards from 8 to 10, had a considerable influence upon blackjack. From this game people got the idea of busting, used when the total value of a player’s cards exceeded a certain number (7 and a half in this case). The same happened with 1 and 30, the Spanish game where the wanted total was 31 and, unlike in blackjack, the players were dealt 3 cards, not 2.
However, these are minor differences and they have contributed to the development of blackjack as we know it today. Through the centuries blackjack has taken the best form everything and reached its perfect form, the one we play so often and lie so much.
Blackjack Strategies
From all casino games, blackjack is the one with the highest potential player advantage over the house. That is, of course, if you use the right strategy. Since you only play against the dealer, and not against all your opponents, like in other games, all the odds are practically in your favor.
Experts have written many books on blackjack and calculated the player’s odds as compared to the house edge, since it’s a well known fact that blackjack is based on mathematics. The bottom line is that the total of your cards and the card the dealer is showing are the two essential elements you have to consider in the course of a game.
For instance, if he has a 10 showing and you’ve got a 16, the normal tendency would be for you to stop here. Still, according to statistics, taking one more card is a lot better. If you stick at 16, the only chance for you to win is if the dealer goes over 21, which is pretty unlikely to happen. So, if the sum of your first two cards is eleven or less, you should always draw another card. If it is somewhere between 12 and 16, drawing another card depends on what the dealer is showing. However, don’t take this as a certain fact. The problem is always the dealer’s face down card. So, you should always suppose he has a 10 (K, Q, J or 10) concealed. If his showing card is between 7-A, draw until you go over 16, but if his showing card is between 2 to 6, you should almost never draw another card.
The biggest trick is to know when to stand or stop. This is the critical issue for most players and the reason why from so many blackjack players only about a half win.
If the sum of your cards is between 17 and 20, never take another card. You can only make exceptions when one of your cards is an ace and the dealer’s showing card is between a 9 and an ace and therefore draw another card.
Normally, the house advantage in blackjack is of about 5%. However, if you play smartly, according to a good strategy, you can reduce them considerably. The best strategy comes with experience. So, don’t think that a strategy that turns out to be lucky once or twice will always be the same. The two most important features of a correct strategy are variability and flexibility. You need to adapt your strategy to the variation you’re playing. In some games you may take out insurance against the dealer having a blackjack, if his showing card is an ace. This is rarely worth paying for, as it costs about half of what you have bet, but if the dealer doesn’t get a blackjack, the payout you get is 2 to 1. In other game variations, when you have two cards of the same value, you may split by placing that bet again and splitting the cards in 2 (add another hand). In other cases, when you are absolutely sure you can beat he dealer, you can double your bet and there is also the opposite of this, stating that when you feel you can’t win, you may give up and lose only half of your wager.
In 21, there are enough options for us not to get bored, but we need to be very selective when using them and not let greed take over our ration. Most of what casinos offer increases their odds, so, if you have a strategy and some experience, you’ll know what’s the right thing to do.
