History of Blackjack
In the beginning, there were playing cards...
The exact origin is unclear, but many believe playing cards originated in China (where paper was invented) or Korea, around the 10th century. It is likely that paper cards evolved from dominoes or perhaps the evolution began much earlier from the flattening and marking of arrows.
Later, around the 14th century, playing cards gradually spread across Europe, with modifications being made as they passed through each country. Early games evolved into Baccarat (where you can bet on “player” or “banker” to win), and Chemin de Fer (“railroad”), where the Baccarat shoe is passed around the table to each participant who is either the “player” or the “banker”.
Most likely, the game of “Vingt et un” (French for Twenty-one or “21”) was inspired from these earlier games and originated in French casinos in the early 1700’s. So, by this time Blackjack history was well on its way to evolving into the game we know today.
The game of “21” was introduced in the United States sometime in the 1800’s. Between the 1860’s and 1910, gambling was legal in the western United States. It was not regulated, so corruption was uncontrollable and in 1910 Nevada outlawed casino gambling by making it a felony to operate a gambling game.
In 1931, Nevada had a change of heart and made gambling legal, introducing laws and a governing body to protect the players. To popularize the game of “21”, some casinos and gambling clubs offered a 10 to 1 bonus if a player received the Ace of Spades and either of the black jacks (Jack of Clubs or Jack of Spades) as their first two cards. The name “Blackjack” stuck for these "21 Hands" and the game soon became a favorite.
The 10 to 1 bonus is long gone, but it has since become commonplace that if the player’s first two cards consist of any Ace and any 10-value card, then a bonus of 3 to 2 (or a 50% bonus on the original bet) will be paid (assuming the dealer does not have a “Blackjack” as well, which would produce a “push”).
Back in 1956, Roger Baldwin had a paper published in the Journal of the American Statistical Association entitled “The Optimum Strategy in Blackjack”, after about 3 years of several people applying probability and statistics to devise a player’s strategy to reduce the house’s edge.
In 1962, a Professor of Mathematics - Dr. Edward O. Thorp, used computers to refine basic strategy for Blackjack. He also developed a system for “counting cards” that when applied with basic strategy gave the player an advantage over the house. These findings were published in Dr. Thorp’s book “Beat the Dealer”, that for a short time appeared on the New York Times best seller list.
Shortly after, Julian Braun, an IBM employee programmed a mainframe computer to run Blackjack simulations until basic strategy was perfected. The results appeared in the second edition of “Beat the Dealer”.
Las Vegas casinos actually changed the rules of Blackjack because of the popularity of “Beat the Dealer” to make it more difficult for a player to win. Many players stopped playing Blackjack, so the casinos reverted to the original rules due to the lost income. They also came to realize that due to the complexity of the mathematics presented in the book that most people would find it impossible to master and apply effectively. The casinos were right and enjoyed a surge in the popularity of Blackjack now that people knew that the “game was beatable”.
The casinos managed to get away with a few changes to the game, including the use of multiple decks and the insertion of a “cut card” (a plastic card placed about ¼ from the end of the cards left to be dealt). When the “cut card” appears, the cards are shuffled, preventing the decks from being dealt all the way through and thus eliminating several hands where the player may have an advantage.
Many books have since been published on Blackjack, with different counting methods and various strategies – and they vary greatly in complexity.
In the late 1970’s, Ken Uston used five computers built into the shoes of members from his Blackjack team, who would input information on the dealer’s and players’ hands by tapping switches with their toes. Information from the computer would be relayed into a small ear-piece that they were wearing to give them the correct play. One of the computers was confiscated and turned over to the FBI, and Uston was prosecuted. However, a federal judge found that since the information used in the programming, and use of the computer was public domain and fairly common knowledge, he had broken no laws. Of course, he was no longer welcome in any of the casinos.
Ken Uston wrote two books – “The Big Player”, detailing his team’s experiences, and “Ken Uston on Blackjack”. He and his legal team continued to fight the casinos in court over the legality of counting cards and he continued to play whenever possible by disguising his appearance. In addition, some players believed that by disclosing professional “secrets”, he caused the casinos to employ new rules and variations on Blackjack. He died in 1987 at the age of 52 of an apparent heart attack brought on by drug and alcohol abuse, at his rented Paris apartment. There was no investigation as foul play was ruled out, and he was cremated with no autopsy being performed.
Today, Blackjack is thriving in casinos all over the world. There are variations that the player should watch out for that will affect the odds of winning - such as the “no hole card” rule in European casinos where players lose their double-down and split bets if the dealer has a “Blackjack”. Single-deck games in Las Vegas that sound good at first, but may offer a 6 to 5 payout on your Blackjack is not a good deal. Similarly, it is disadvantageous if the dealer is required to hit their soft 17 (for example, an Ace and 6 - traditionally, the dealer stands on all 17’s). Also, continuous shuffling machines should be avoided. Generally, it is better to play with the least amount of decks, but multiple deck games are still beatable if you learn basic strategy and a simple card counting method.
“Pocket Guide to Winning Blackjack” contains perfect basic strategy charts for multiple deck casino Blackjack (perfect for 6-deck Las Vegas Blackjack), plus advanced strategies, simple card counting, money management, and much more to help you eliminate the casino advantage when playing Blackjack. The strategies presented can be applied anywhere to help maximize profit and minimize losses.
The exact origin is unclear, but many believe playing cards originated in China (where paper was invented) or Korea, around the 10th century. It is likely that paper cards evolved from dominoes or perhaps the evolution began much earlier from the flattening and marking of arrows.
Later, around the 14th century, playing cards gradually spread across Europe, with modifications being made as they passed through each country. Early games evolved into Baccarat (where you can bet on “player” or “banker” to win), and Chemin de Fer (“railroad”), where the Baccarat shoe is passed around the table to each participant who is either the “player” or the “banker”.
Most likely, the game of “Vingt et un” (French for Twenty-one or “21”) was inspired from these earlier games and originated in French casinos in the early 1700’s. So, by this time Blackjack history was well on its way to evolving into the game we know today.
The game of “21” was introduced in the United States sometime in the 1800’s. Between the 1860’s and 1910, gambling was legal in the western United States. It was not regulated, so corruption was uncontrollable and in 1910 Nevada outlawed casino gambling by making it a felony to operate a gambling game.
In 1931, Nevada had a change of heart and made gambling legal, introducing laws and a governing body to protect the players. To popularize the game of “21”, some casinos and gambling clubs offered a 10 to 1 bonus if a player received the Ace of Spades and either of the black jacks (Jack of Clubs or Jack of Spades) as their first two cards. The name “Blackjack” stuck for these "21 Hands" and the game soon became a favorite.
The 10 to 1 bonus is long gone, but it has since become commonplace that if the player’s first two cards consist of any Ace and any 10-value card, then a bonus of 3 to 2 (or a 50% bonus on the original bet) will be paid (assuming the dealer does not have a “Blackjack” as well, which would produce a “push”).
Back in 1956, Roger Baldwin had a paper published in the Journal of the American Statistical Association entitled “The Optimum Strategy in Blackjack”, after about 3 years of several people applying probability and statistics to devise a player’s strategy to reduce the house’s edge.
In 1962, a Professor of Mathematics - Dr. Edward O. Thorp, used computers to refine basic strategy for Blackjack. He also developed a system for “counting cards” that when applied with basic strategy gave the player an advantage over the house. These findings were published in Dr. Thorp’s book “Beat the Dealer”, that for a short time appeared on the New York Times best seller list.
Shortly after, Julian Braun, an IBM employee programmed a mainframe computer to run Blackjack simulations until basic strategy was perfected. The results appeared in the second edition of “Beat the Dealer”.
Las Vegas casinos actually changed the rules of Blackjack because of the popularity of “Beat the Dealer” to make it more difficult for a player to win. Many players stopped playing Blackjack, so the casinos reverted to the original rules due to the lost income. They also came to realize that due to the complexity of the mathematics presented in the book that most people would find it impossible to master and apply effectively. The casinos were right and enjoyed a surge in the popularity of Blackjack now that people knew that the “game was beatable”.
The casinos managed to get away with a few changes to the game, including the use of multiple decks and the insertion of a “cut card” (a plastic card placed about ¼ from the end of the cards left to be dealt). When the “cut card” appears, the cards are shuffled, preventing the decks from being dealt all the way through and thus eliminating several hands where the player may have an advantage.
Many books have since been published on Blackjack, with different counting methods and various strategies – and they vary greatly in complexity.
In the late 1970’s, Ken Uston used five computers built into the shoes of members from his Blackjack team, who would input information on the dealer’s and players’ hands by tapping switches with their toes. Information from the computer would be relayed into a small ear-piece that they were wearing to give them the correct play. One of the computers was confiscated and turned over to the FBI, and Uston was prosecuted. However, a federal judge found that since the information used in the programming, and use of the computer was public domain and fairly common knowledge, he had broken no laws. Of course, he was no longer welcome in any of the casinos.
Ken Uston wrote two books – “The Big Player”, detailing his team’s experiences, and “Ken Uston on Blackjack”. He and his legal team continued to fight the casinos in court over the legality of counting cards and he continued to play whenever possible by disguising his appearance. In addition, some players believed that by disclosing professional “secrets”, he caused the casinos to employ new rules and variations on Blackjack. He died in 1987 at the age of 52 of an apparent heart attack brought on by drug and alcohol abuse, at his rented Paris apartment. There was no investigation as foul play was ruled out, and he was cremated with no autopsy being performed.
Today, Blackjack is thriving in casinos all over the world. There are variations that the player should watch out for that will affect the odds of winning - such as the “no hole card” rule in European casinos where players lose their double-down and split bets if the dealer has a “Blackjack”. Single-deck games in Las Vegas that sound good at first, but may offer a 6 to 5 payout on your Blackjack is not a good deal. Similarly, it is disadvantageous if the dealer is required to hit their soft 17 (for example, an Ace and 6 - traditionally, the dealer stands on all 17’s). Also, continuous shuffling machines should be avoided. Generally, it is better to play with the least amount of decks, but multiple deck games are still beatable if you learn basic strategy and a simple card counting method.
“Pocket Guide to Winning Blackjack” contains perfect basic strategy charts for multiple deck casino Blackjack (perfect for 6-deck Las Vegas Blackjack), plus advanced strategies, simple card counting, money management, and much more to help you eliminate the casino advantage when playing Blackjack. The strategies presented can be applied anywhere to help maximize profit and minimize losses.
More strategy and reading: Practicing *** Blackjack Analogies *** Surrender Strategy *** Money Management
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