Over a century and a half apart, evidence of the game can be found in both France and the UK under the name vingt-un.

In this novel of the collection “Novelas Ejemplares” there is ample talk of the game “veintiuna” and of a group of professional cheaters from Seville who seek their luck by cheating with cards.Īlso, in this story it is clear that the main purpose of the game is to get to 21 without exceeding it, with the ace worth 1 or 11 and with a dealer who manages the cards in play. The first written and verifiable traces of this game appear in a story by Miguel de Cervantes “Rinconete y Cortadillo” dating back to 1600.

However, there is a lack of concrete evidence, to support this theory, thus leaving the exact origin of this game somewhat unknown. The Romans were already known for their love of gambling, and some typical elements of the game of blackjack, such as the need to reach a score without exceeding 21, may have been present in other games already widespread in ancient Rome. These theories claim that it was played on wooden tablets with the numbers engraved on one side. There are theories that claim that the precursor of the game now known as Blackjack was played by the Romans under the name of “Twenty-one”. BLACKJACK: HISTORY, LEGEND AND FIRST WRITTEN TRACES In this article we will attempt to retrace the history of blackjack and look at what is provable and what belongs to legend and lore. The game itself boasts ancient origins that take it from ancient Rome to the screens of our computers, passing through the Napoleonic wars and American colonialism to the modern day.Īs always, the more you dig into the stories, the fewer written or reliable sources there are. This book inspired generations of players to learn card counting, resulting in changes in the rules of the game in order to make it more difficult for players to use this technique. Thorp, who in 1962 wrote the book “Beat the Dealer” where he explained his techniques for beating casinos at blackjack using card counting. There is no shortage of scientific anecdotes about blackjack, such as that of the famous mathematician and statistician Edward O.

soldiers played blackjack to pass the time and relieve stress. Historically, Blackjack has also been played within the military ranks. In the hugely popular “Rain Man” and “21”, blackjack was used as a means to tell stories of intelligence and strategy. It is often dramatically depicted in well-known films and television series, as well as associated with a luxurious life and love of risk.

Blackjack is considered by many as the main game of casinos around the world, with legions of patrons who compete with passion both on traditional tables and in those of online casinos.

Pokerstars casino history