Black Jack
Many historians believe that blackjack first emerged sometime in the Seventeenth Century in the nation of Spain where it was called 21 and then later, referred to as pontoon. This is due to a book that mentions it, but it is not clear if that first game actually ties in to blackjack as we know it today or if our modern game was invented as an isolated incident. Either way, both games were played with cards, but the blackjack we know and love now first rose in the United States during its era of cowboys, saloons and gun fights. While it was not as popular as its cousin poker, it managed to score a fairly substantial following of gamblers who appreciated its rapid speed and ease of understanding. Since there were plenty of 52 card decks circulating through the United States at that time, this is the configuration that most blackjack games use, but as in poker, there are a myriad versions of this game that are each a little bit different. While some skill can be applied to playing this game, in truth it is primarily a game of luck. One of the ways that players will attempt to do better at this game is by mentally keeping track of the cards used as the game progresses, but casinos do not appreciate it, referring to it as ‘card counting’, and have been known to eject players for the practice.
Blackjack is typically played at a kidney bean shaped table where the players all form a half ring around the dealer who stands opposite to them in the middle of the table’s indent. He will deal each of them a pair of cards, face up or down depending on the house rules. The house rules are normally printed on the table’s layout to give the players a basic idea of what to expect during game play. The goal of each player is to beat the dealer’s hand so that they can win their wager. The best possible score is a 21, also called a blackjack or a natural. Card values are the face value of the card, 10 points for Jacks through Kings and either 1 point or 11 points for an Ace – whichever serves the player better.