During the 1700s, there was a very popular card game being played in France called Vingt et Un – 21 in English. The game played all those years ago was remarkably similar to the game we play today but for a couple of things. Dealers were the only ones able to double in Vingt et Un and players would bet after each round. The best hand with Vingt et Un, as with today’s blackjack, was a natural 21.
There are two different versions of how the name of the game became blackjack but neither one has been proven so we don’t know for sure. One camp says that when playing Vingt et Un there was a special payout for getting a Jack and Ace of Spades in the winning hand. The other camp credits the casinos of early Las Vegas with coming up with blackjack by offering special odds and payouts for the same hand. The special payouts were later stopped but the name was here to stay.
Whichever the true origin of the name of the game, it’s become one of the most popular and frequently played card games in the world both in land and online casinos. With the advent of various software programs that allow online blackjack to be played, variations have been added like the ability to play multiple hands or participate in progressive jackpots.
