Over the years, the origin of Blackjack, like many other games, has long remained a mystery to scholars and is still hotly debated today. To this day, there is still no clear consensus on the subject, but many theories exist. Let's go together on the tracks of this now world famous game.
Very distant origins.... and still uncertain….
The origins of the now famous BlackJack are still being debated, but the majority seems to agree that the game originated in French gambling establishments in the very early 18th century. The French cards were called "Vingt-et-Un", probably derived from the "Chemin de Fer". This card game was very popular at the court during the reign of King Louis XV and remained popular for a long time, as Napoleon was also fond of it.
For others, the true ancestor of Blackjack is a 15th century Italian game called "31", or "Trentuno", where the object was to reach a score of 31. The rules were very similar to modern Blackjack, but there was no such thing as an assist or split action. Also, the cards had the same value as today, except for the ace, which had a value of 11.
But if you go back even further, there is a theory that Blackjack was invented by the Romans, who were never short of new games! Some believe that the Romans played a distant form of Blackjack with small wooden blocks with different numbers painted on them. Granted, this is a bit of a wild guess.
In addition to the various versions of Vingt-et-Un, the popularity of card games then spread to North America and developed on the American coast in the 18th century with the help of French settlers. The game, and Blackjack in its more modern form, really began to take hold in New Orleans in 1820 in legalized card rooms. At that time, the rules were somewhat different from the contemporary Blackjack we know today. For example, only the dealer was allowed to double the bets and there was also a round of betting between each of the cards dealt.
Modern day Blackjack and its rise in the world
Gambling was legalized in the United States in the 1930s, but in its early days, Blackjack was not a huge success. The payouts seemed too low compared to other games and casino managers came up with the idea of creating a special combination in the 20th century that was much more attractive, with a ratio of 10 to 1 if the jack of spades or the club was dealt along with the ace of spades.
The use of the name "Vingt-et-Un" ("Twenty-one") gradually gave way to "Blackjack", the English translation of black jack. And even though the bonuses have become less common, the name has stuck.
From that point on, there was no stopping Blackjack's progression around the world, and it was in 1969 that it began to be introduced in French casinos. It even reached its peak in the mid-1980s when it accounted for 77% of all casino spending by players. Today, blackjack still accounts for about 50% of all gambling activity, eclipsing other activities such as roulette, baccarat and craps.
The introduction of online casinos has also played a key role in the popularization of the game. Thanks to the rise of the Internet and online casinos, there are now many variations of blackjack, with all kinds of rules and bonuses. Overall, however, the simpler forms of the game have the lowest house edge, and are therefore the ones to play if you want to give yourself the best chance of coming out on top !
In the live game rooms however, it is classic blackjack (which was born and raised in Europe but perfected in the United States) that is more popular than ever today. Finally, it should be noted that France is also known as a major tourist destination for Blackjack enthusiasts, who want to come and play where it was born.
Blackjack at Paris
Blackjack is without a doubt a game steeped in history. It has been played for centuries and has evolved over time into the casino game we know today. It was during this evolution that a popular variant in Europe was born, Poker 21, otherwise known as Parisian Style Blackjack, a French game, which is believed to have originated in the 19th century. Interestingly enough, Napoleon Bonaparte was a big fan of Poker Vingt-et-Un. During his long period of captivity on the island of St. Helena, and between two passionate letters to Josephine, the deposed Emperor taught it to his English jailers to pass the time. The game gradually spread in Britain and Europe.
The rules are similar to the traditional game of Blackjack, the player must achieve a total of 21 points, ideally, or as close to it as possible, but never exceeding that fateful number 21. Once the score exceeds 21, the player has lost. Similarly, if the bank exceeds 21, the bank loses.
But what makes Parisian Style Blackjack unique is that there are two bets; a mandatory poker bet called "POK", based on the poker combinations made with the dealer's hand, and the "21" bet, which is the Blackjack bet.
The original version of Blackjack, renowned and played all over the world, was authorized by French legislation for the first time in Gaming Clubs on November 7th 2022. Once the sole property of French casinos, it is now open to Parisian customers and to players, notably, of the Club Pierre Charron. While waiting for other games?
