Blackjack: Origins, Rules and Basic Strategy

The first ever legend about Blackjack was found in one of the writings of Miguel de Cervantes in 1601. Miguel was a Spanish gambler and writer. This story from a book written by Miguel in 1601 depicts two main characters Rinconete and Novelas who were expert in cheating when it came to 21.

The characters and the story were based in Seville, Spain. Therefore, this classic game is believed to be originated in Spain back in the 16th century. Later more references to the game were found in other parts of Spain, Catalonia, and France.

blackjack origins rules and basic strategy

History of Blackjack

According to legends, Blackjack has been practised since the 16th century. But it was not until the late 17th century when this game really started to take over the whole world. Later in the 18th century, this game spread like fire in French colonies before eventually making its way to the United States.

By the end of the 19th century, this game was widely spread in all the major countries of the world. Later in the 20th centuries, after the inception of gamble houses or casinos, this game became one of the hot favourites of gamblers. To increase the number of gamblers, an exciting 10x win payout was released which was an immense success.

At present, this game has dozens of variants and is also available at the cool online casino . Its popularity in the casinos is unmatched and it continues to be one of the most demanded games. The classic card game is seeing its new cool online versions getting launched every now and then.

Rules – How to Play 21?

The game of Blackjack is rather easy to understand and even the first-timer will grasp it in a matter of a few minutes. The main aim of the player is to acquire a perfect score or close score to 21, without exceeding this value. This is a card-comparing game with decks of 52 cards.

The player goes again a dealer, however, at one table usually, 5-6 players play at once. The player is provided with two upwards facing cards whereas the dealer has one card facing upwards and the other one facing down. The following are a few of the basic rules of 21.

  • Hit: To “hit” in Blackjack is to ask the dealer to give you a new card from the deck.
  • Stand: To “stand” is to hold your total value and end your turn.
  • Bust: In Blackjack, when someone gets “busted”, he or she is sure to have a total value of more than 21.
  • Blackjack: A Blackjack is a perfect 21 which is a combination of an Ace and a face card or a ten.
  • Win: To win a round in this game, a player needs to have a better score than the dealer but not greater than 21.
  • Loss: Whenever the dealer has a better overall score (lesser than or equal to 21) than that of player’s, it marks a loss for the player.
  • Draw: A draw means a similar score between the dealer and the player. In such a case, no money is lost and none gained.
  • Value of Cards: In Blackjack, the cards from 2 to 10 carry the same value as the number, the face cards have a value of 10, an ace could be valued at 1 or 11.

Player’s Guide – Basic Strategies

However, this game requires good luck, but it also involves some basic skills and strategies. A player must know when to hit or stand. A few basics are.

  • Never hit above a 17.
  • Never take the insurance.
  • Never split the pairs of 10.
  • Always hit if dealer’s card is greater than 7.