The game of gambling is certainly an addicting and indulging one. Fortunes are won and lost every day in casinos all over the world and this has become a wonderful pastime for many people. But not many games have managed to earn the popularity that blackjack has achieved over the years. Movies have been dedicated to the game, people have spent years trying to beat it and there is even a much revered Blackjack Hall of Fame! Many fascinating stories revolve around the game of blackjack but none of them is quite as good as the history of blackjack.
The history of blackjack is not as easy as some of the other card games. Many researchers have been trying for years to understand the exact way in which the game evolved. However, true to its elusive nature of play, it has not provided many clues for this mystery. Like most modern card games, the earliest roots of Blackjack can be seen in France, around the 17th century. A popular game in French casinos was Vingt-et-Un or ‘21’. There were only minor differences in Vingt-et-Un and Blackjack, most of which were related to rules of play. Around the same time, Italy saw the emergence of one game known as ‘Seven and a Half’, from which the blackjack term ‘bust’ is said to have been derived. The point of the game was to reach a hand that gave you seven and a half points. If players exceeded this limit, they were considered to be out of the game.
From Italy, the game moved on the continent of Northern America, where it was well received. it is in America, that the current form of blackjack was developed. Professional gamblers, upon realizing the full potential of the game, immediately formed a set of basic rules. At the same time, they worked upon a strategy that would increase the odds in their favour. Soon after came a turning point in the history of blackjack. The government of USA banned all kinds of gambling activities. Blackjack was soon shifted to the underground gambling scene, where it became a favourite among the crowds. It is during this time that the version of blackjack we now know came to be. After the state of Nevada legalized gambling, blackjack hit the casinos like never before and drew in the crowds by the numbers. Such is the interesting history of blackjack. Today, blackjack enjoys a national popularity, and is considered a gambling classic in many parts of the world.
Since the exact history of blackjack is unclear, many books and researches have been published on the topic. More than those, people have spent a good portion of their lives attempting to beat the game. Those who have succeeded have been inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame, which is an honour not given to any other gambling game. Even though we may not know much about the history of blackjack, one thing is clear and that is that the future of this game is extremely bright!
This article was written by Ridhi Rajpal.