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Blackjack Origins
Strictly speaking, card games go all the way back to old China where the first cards were actually printed.
These early games of cards then moved towards the trading routes of Asia and eventually went all the way to Europe along with different products and concepts.
Blackjack Naming Rights
Several professionals of blackjack claim that the game started in Spain because of a reference that Cervantes made in the 17th century, calling a game 'Veintiuno', which means 21 in Spanish.
Yet another group of experts on blackjack history, however, claim that a popular card game called 'Vingt-Un' - which means 21 in French - during the 18th century shows that blackjack began in France.
Italy beats both of these countries, though, as references of a game called "Trentuno" (31 in Italian) has been around since the 15th century. Although not the same number, it is the very first record of a card game that has a numerical goal to it.
Blackjack history in the United States of America does not start until the French brought it into New Orleans during the early 19th century. Although the French rules of blackjack remained the same for the most part, its name was turned into "Twenty-One", its English counterpart.
Blackjack in Casinos and the World Wide Web
Although the game of Twenty-One started to spread quite fast in American gambling halls, it failed to capture and keep an audience that was entirely committed. Instead, Americanized games such s poker and craps kept dominating the gambling scene.
This is when casino operators started to adapt the game and boost its popularity. Several casinos chose to offer up special payouts for a 21 with a black-colored Jack and an Ace and it is because of this promotion that the game got its modern name.
The history of blackjack doesn't end in casinos, though. In the late 20th Century, the game was made over yet again - online, that is. Aficionados started to play the game worldwide with nothing but a personal computer and a basic internet connection.
So, is this where blackjack history ends, then? Well, like the actual game, all the world can really do is wait and see what lies in the game's cards.
