Blackjack is currently the casino world’s second favourite game, and it’s not hard to see why. Blackjack is incredibly easy to learn, it has fast-paced gameplay, plenty of action, and it’s often flexible enough for players to try different strategies. Modern blackjack has become something of a staple for most international online casinos, and while the game continues to expand and keep up with the likes of online slots, it also has a long and interesting history that dates back hundreds of years.

The Origins of Blackjack

Historians have dated the first versions of the game to France during the 1700s, where it was more commonly known as Vingt-et-Un, and was played in the casinos at the time. It’s believed that it was derived from an earlier game called Chemin de Fer. Some historians argue that the game actually dates back as far as the Romans, where they would play the game with a set of wooden blocks with various numerical values. This theory remains unconfirmed, despite the fact that Romans loved to gamble. It was first spread to North America due to French colonists, and it didn’t take long before the game was being played across the continent.

Another version that became popular Spain was called One and thirty. The rules of this version were that that the player had to try and reach as high as 31 with no more than three cards. It’s much more difficult than the version the French played, which is part of the reason why it failed to make the same impact in the international casino scene.

The game was first termed ‘21’ when it started to gain popularity in Nevada in 1931, just as the state decided to make gambling legal. Some casinos began offering a special bet which featured a new hand made up of either Clubs or Jack of Spades, as well as the Ace of Spades that would pay out 10-to-1 odds for the lucky players. Although this practise was eventually let go, the name stuck, and the game has been called blackjack ever since.

Modern Blackjack

Blackjack in today’s world hasn’t changed much since then. It became more popular, and was offered by more casinos around North America before it started appearing in casinos around the world. With the rise of the internet, online blackjack became a staple for any casino worth its salt, along with other games, such as online slots and online bingo. There are currently a number of different versions of the game available today, and most of them are offered online. For those that want to learn more about the game and how it works, the best place to start is with a free version of the game which is extremely easy to find and play. The rules are quick to learn, and it’s an incredibly entertaining game that can keep just about anyone interested for hours at a time.