Everything you could ever want to know!

Introduction

Here in New Zealand, Blackjack, also known as “21”, has been delighting us Kiwis for decades and has become a global phenomenon in its own right. So, what’s all the fuss about? Quite simply, the card game’s appeal lies in its straightforward game rules and the thrill of trying to beat the dealer without exceeding 21 points. The simplicity of the game has gone a long way to ensuring its widespread success across the globe and has meant the game has become a staple entertainment option for beginners and more experienced players alike.

So, what are the origins of this widely beloved game and who should be credited for its rise to fame? The Romans? The French? The Spanish? Without a doubt, its history has eluded researchers for many years, and to this day, it is still widely debated, despite being one of the most popular casino games in the world. There’s certainly no clear consensus but let’s take a closer look at its captivating history and some of the most talked about theories.

The Roman link

One lesser talked about theory implicates the Romans in the game’s rise to fame. Well-known for indulging in gambling activities between battles, despite it not being legal, they were thought to have used wooden blocks with numerical values on them to reach the golden number of “21”.

The Spanish link

Miguel de Cervantes (the famous Spanish author known for Don Quixote) made reference to a game called ‘Veintiuna’ in one of his short stories in 1601/1602 (Ronconete y Cortadillo). In this story he described a card game where players had to reach a total of 21 (and no more) using a Spanish baraja deck, where the Eights, Nines and Tens were removed, and Aces were worth either one or 11 points. This rule set bears a striking resemblance to the modern-day blackjack variant, Spanish 21. Additional references to ‘Veintiuna’ were found in later books from both Spain and France, but that of de Cervantes is the earliest written reference known to man.

The French Link

As already mentioned above, it’s generally thought that Blackjack’s origins date back as far as the early 17^th century. One thing we can be sure of is that it most definitely evolved from a popular game in France called “21” (vingt-et-un) and the game of the same name in Spain (ventiuna). In fact, the first known and recorded emergence of blackjack actually being played is credited to French casinos around 1700.

It is widely believed by historians that Vingt-et-Un was derived from the popular recreational French card games, ‘Chemin de Fer’ and ‘Ferme’. Chemin de Fer, also known as ‘chemmy’, literally means ‘railway’ and was testament to the speed of the game. It consisted of several rounds which involved two hands: a Banker’s Hand and a Player’s Hand. It required a combination of skill and luck as players competed with two cards to get closest to a total of nine points, without going over.

Ferme (Farm) was a game involving 10 to 12 players where the term ‘farm‘ was metaphorical for ‘bank‘. Gaming houses owners were known as the ‘farmers’. Original rules for the game are sketchy, but it would appear that the highest bidder became the ‘farmer’ or ‘banker’. Their bid amount (called the farm) was placed under a candelabra or in a coin purse. All 8s were then removed from the pack, the reason being that these cards would make it too easy for players to reach the target score of sixteen. Each opponent was dealt two cards. They could then subsequently request more cards to try to get closer to the target score of 16. If their hand total exceeded 16, they would pay the farmer one token for each excess point. If no-one managed to score 16, then the player nearest to 16 (without exceeding it), would win the pool, but not the farm. Players with 12 to 15 points could ‘stick‘ to avoid exceeding 16 and having to pay the farmer. The player lucky enough to score exactly 16 would win the farm and all contents of the pool, ousting the current farmer and taking over the next round.

The rising popularity of Blackjack

Blackjack continued to evolve and became increasingly popular throughout the 18th century. Some casinos and alternative gambling houses even started to offer ‘special bets’ to entice more people to try the game and subsequently attract a broader audience. A notable distinctive bonus was the 10:1 odds of a player having a Black Jack of spades or clubs with an Ace. This is where the name we know today originated from. Despite the fact that this special bet was gradually removed from the game over time, the name Blackjack stuck. It was a game enjoyed by the royal courts and elites of France, even King Louis XV’s mistress and Napoleon Bonaparte, the famed military leader and emperor of France!

In the late 17^th / early 18^th century, the game’s popularity crossed the pond to North America. The first legal banking game took place in New Orleans in 1931 when the state of Nevada legalised gambling. Long gone were the days of playing high-stakes games behind closed doors! Subsequently, during the period of European colonisation, the game was introduced across the world and now features in more than 140 countries making it one of the most renowned casino games of all time. What’s more, the advent of online casinos has further propelled the game’s appeal which has grown exponentially.

So, what are you waiting for? Try your luck and you could be a winner!