The famous card game of twenty-one is synonymous with casino gaming, hailed by many as the holy grail of gambling, Simple enough to welcome anyone but complex enough to allow skilled players to shine, blackjack has swept the globe years ago with its unique blend of luck and strategy.

Books have been written, tales have been told and blackjack remains a quintessential part of the casino experience. But what are the origins of blackjack? What is the history of blackjack and how has the game changed over the years?

Blackjack Origins

Blackjack, as we know it today, originates in France, dating back to the 18th century. It was originally called Vingt-et-Un, which translates to Twenty-One. As we all know, 21 is still a widely used name for the game of blackjack, especially outside the US. Card games such as Chemin de Fer, from which blackjack ‘descends’, were particularly popular among the French nobility in the 17th and 18th centuries, most notably in the royal court of King Louis XV.

However, even this meagre info about blackjack origins is still widely disputed. The earliest written evidence we have of the game’s existence s found in a book by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes. His short story Rinconete y Cortadillo tells the story of card cheats operating in Seville. The rules make it quite clear that we’re talking about Twenty-One, and it was written in 1613, which means it predates any mentions in France. However, de Cervantes also briefly describes it as a French game, so you can see how things can get a bit murky.

Early Evolution and the United States

Despite the game’s unclear birthplace, we have plentiful evidence that Vingt-Un spread across western Europe in the 18th century. It would appear throughout Britain for example and was still largely called by its French name. It’s important to understand that most people still called the game Vingt-Un for centuries. This includes Britain, Germany, and even parts of Spain. A part of this can be attributed to the fact that French was the Lingua Franca at the time, but that’s a story for another time. Importantly, the English word Pontoon does not appear until the First World War.

So how did Twenty-One become blackjack and when did it happen?

Well, Vingt-Un first came to the United States in the early 19th century. Early prints of the rules of the game tell us that English rules were still widely used among the settlers. That said, there were also variants in New Orleans which used the name Vingt-Un. At this point, we can also see different rulesets pop up in different places. For instance, this Louisianna brand of Twenty-One only allowed the dealer to double.

The exciting card game quickly spread throughout the American frontier, becoming a mainstay of saloons and legalized gambling houses. Before long, the name “blackjack” started popping up. As you may have guessed, the reasons for this are also somewhat unclear.

Why is Blackjack Called Blackjack?

As the game’s fame and notoriety started to grow, gambling myths also began forming around it. The origin of the name blackjack is also steeped in myth (or maybe urban legend?)

The most well-known myth from the history of blackjack relates directly to the name itself. As the story goes, 18th century Americans were initially not too keen on this new card game form the Old World. In an effort to entice customers to play, gambling houses apparently offered a 10:1 bonus payout if the player’s hole cards were an ace of spades and a black jack (a jack of clubs of spades). According to the myth, the name stuck even though the bonus didn’t.

If we stick to the evidence, though, there is no mention of this kind of bonus anywhere which makes sense- it would arguably remove what little house advantage the game actually has.

According to historian Thierry Depaulis, the name refers to the mineral sphalerite or zincblende. This ore was associated with gold and silver deposits in Mississippi and during the Klondike Gold Rush. It was also called ‘blackjack’ by prospectors, so Depaulis assumes it was transferred to the American ruleset for Twenty-One.

While we’re on the topic of near-myth, we also have to mention the influence of Eleanor Dumont. A notorious gambler from the California Gold Rush era, Dumont was one of the world’s first noted female card dealers. Her gambling parlours and winning streaks were famed throughout the American West and are credited with further spreading blackjack to the masses.

Modern Blackjack

As we previously glossed over, trying to keep up with all the rules and variants of blackjack during its early years is nearly impossible. Every gambling parlour from California to Milan was free to use whichever rules it wanted. In most places, gambling was still illegal as well. In others, it was largely ‘unofficial’ compared to the regulated casinos we know today.

This did not change until the mid-20th century. At this point, Las Vegas was well on its way to becoming the world capital of gambling. Gaming became less of a shady back-room deal and more of a legitimate business. This, in turn, demanded regulation and standardization. Soon enough, the Nevada Gaming Commission was formed and outlined the first official rules of blackjack.

That’s why most standard blackjack rules are referred to as ‘Vegas-style’. The 60s were a pivotal moment in the history of blackjack – and also its evolution. As the casino industry grew into a multi-million dollar business, the game spread throughout the world.

In short, casinos in the United States are the birthplace of the modern, serious game that we know and love today. That’s why it’s called blackjack in most of the world despite the original popularity of Twenty-One.

Online & Live Casino Blackjack

Finally, we’ve come to the last leg of our blackjack history overview. As gambling continues to move online, the internet became one of the most popular ways for people to play this fascinating game.

Online blackjack first appeared in the late 90s and early 2000s. However, it failed to truly take off as an RNG-based game. As it turns out, relying on computer calculations instead of actual cards doesn’t quite ‘feel’ right. Besides, most strategies for blackjack go right out the door.

Soon enough, however, live casino blackjack rose to prominence. Combining live streaming technology and interactive gaming with real people dealing real cards, players flocked to live casinos as the “next best thing” to brick-and-mortar casinos.

Furthermore, new variants of the game arose to keep pace with the changing market. For instance, tables on which all the players share a single hand, often called Common Draw or One-to-Many blackjack appeared. The new format also allowed software providers to play around with the rules, introducing new side bets. As time went on, even more exotic variants such as Lightning Blackjack found a lot of success.

So, do you feel ready to experience the marvels of online live blackjack? We sure hope so, because we have a collection of amazing sites to play live blackjack from anywhere in the world! Check out some of the offers below, or refer to our list of top blackjack casinos.