Blackjack is arguably one of the most well-known casino games out there. But did you know that it wasn’t always known as Blackjack? You might’ve heard some avid players referring to the game as Twenty-One– as it’s a translation of what the casino classic was known as throughout the world, up until the 20th century: Vingt-et-Un.
Join us as we take a look back in time at the origins of Blackjack, from the creation of the game itself, to see how the now iconic name came about…
A brief history
Many historians believe that Vingt-et-Un originated in French casinos around 1700, inspired by popular card games at the time like Chemin de Fer. It didn’t take long for French colonists to take the game overseas, where it grew in popularity throughout North America. In 1820, the first gambling halls became legalised in New Orleans, and Vingt-et-Un took pride of place within the venues. Despite, this, some of the rules varied from those we know today, as only the dealer was allowed to double down, for example.
Then, it was with the help of skilled dealer Eleanor Dumont, who was originally born in France and immigrated to America. Classed as a rarity at the time, Dumont travelled around America making a name for herself, until she decided to settle down in Nevada City, California, and open a casino which she ironically called Vingt-et-Un. Players would travel from all over the country to play against Dumont, further helping the popularity of the game to spread.
The aim of the game
The aim of Vingt-et-Un – or Blackjack – is actually fairly simple. Essentially, you’ll want to beat the dealer – either by getting the value of your hand as close to, or equalling 21, or by the dealer going over, known as bust. You can do this by using the two cards you are dealt at the start of the game, and deciding to either ‘hit’ and take another card, ‘stand’, and keep the cards you have, ‘fold’, and forfeit your hand; ‘split’, or ‘double down’. The game is commonly played with more than one deck of 52 playing cards, with the house edge varying depending on how many are in play. But no matter how you choose to play, the aim of the game is always to get your hand totalling closer to the value of 21 than the dealer’s – which is now known as Blackjack.
The name game
So, how did 21 become known as Blackjack? Well, in the 20th century, despite casino gaming being popular in Nevada, venues found themselves needing a unique way to promote the game. To do this, casinos would offer bonus payouts which included one that paid out extra if the player won with a hand consisting of a black Jack (Jack of Spades or Clubs), and an Ace of Spades. As the promotion faded out, it clearly worked, because the name had become so popular that Twenty-One is now equally, if not more commonly known as Blackjack in both land-based and online casinos all around the world today.
