Blackjack is a popular and increasingly popular online casino game. But to become the flagship game we know today, Blackjack has come a long way. It’s a game that has traveled through the ages and across 5 continents. So where was Blackjack born and what is its epic journey?
The origins of Blackjack
Blackjack could be a game of French origin. Although historians are not sure if this information is true, it appears that Blackjack was born in the hexagon under the name Chemin de Fer. As early as 1700, players were known to play Blackjack in land-based casinos. The name was changed from Chemin de Fer to 21. A few years after the Revolution, Blackjack made its first trip to the United States, a country that would have a great future. The 21st underwent another decisive transformation, as it was finally given the name Blackjack. In this game, as soon as the player had a black Jack and Ace of Spades, it was said that he obtained a “Blackjack”, “black” meaning black, and “jack” meaning jack. Unfortunately, this variant is no longer practiced today.
The Awakening of the Scientists
From the moment Blackjack began to make money in the United States, scholars and mathematicians sought to standardize strategies and tactics. Roger Baldwin thus updated a tactical method which consisted in modifying the course of probabilities. Thus appeared the basic strategy of Blackjack, which was precisely explained in the book The optimum strategy in Blackjack. In 1962, Edward O. Thorp invented the card counting method, an even more effective strategy that land-based casino players still use today. These two statisticians helped to better understand the secrets of the game.
The advent of the web
As early as the 2000’s, the first online casino sites were launched with their share of novelties and innovation. Blackjack took off again and was dematerialized on the web, and can now be played as Blackjack online, or virtual Blackjack.
The game is still as attractive and rewarding as it was in its early days even though online casinos are void of real croupiers and the natural thrill of this great game. In particular, the Internet has enabled the creation of new variants of Blackjack, whose codes, rules and operations have changed. The most popular variations of this card game are Blackjack 6:5, Blackjack Over/Under, Blackjack Switch and Double Exposure Blackjack.