Jul 09 2008
An introduction to Blackjack
Also known as Twenty-one, Vingt-et-un (French for Twenty-one), or Pontoon, Blackjack is one of the most popular casino card games in the world.
Much of blackjack’s popularity is due to the mix of chance with elements of skill, and the publicity that surrounds card counting (calculating the probability of advantages based on the ratio of high cards to low cards). The casino version of the game should not be confused with the British card game Black Jack (a variant of Crazy Eights).
Blackjack has soared in popularity with the 2008 release of the recent Hollywood film “21″ which has taken the world by storm over the last months. Based on a true story, the film is about a group of MIT students who, playing Blackjack, employed sophisticated card-counting techniques to legally take millions of dollars from several Vegas casinos.
History of blackjack
Blackjack’s precursor was vingt-et-un (”twenty-one”), which originated in French casinos around 1700, and did not offer the 3:2 bonus for a two-card 21. When 21 was first introduced in the United States it was not very popular, so gambling houses tried offering various bonus payouts to get the players to the tables. One such bonus was a 10-to-1 payout if the player’s hand consisted of the ace of spades and a black Jack (either the Jack of clubs or the Jack of spades). This hand was called a “blackjack” and the name stuck to the game even though the bonus payout was soon abolished. As the game is currently played, a ‘blackjack’ may not necessarily contain a jack or any black cards at all.
Getting started - Basic blackjack rules
There is one dealer and normally between 1 to 5 players plopped down in front of him/her. Before the dealer begins issuing cards, players set their wagers down on the table. Depending on the table at which you?re playing, these can range from a $1 minimum to a $500 maximum.
Each Blackjack player competes 1-on-1 with the Dealer (or Croupier) and the goal is to have a hand which totals 21, or beats the Dealer’s hand by coming as close to 21 as possible without surpassing it or ‘busting.’ If the first two cards you get are an ace and a ten (or, any other face card) you’ve got “Blackjack” or a “natural” 21 which pays 1.5x your original wager.
A Blackjack always beats a hand that totals 21, but requires more than the first two cards to do so. A face card is counted as 10 and cards from 2-10 are counted according to their face values. Aces can be counted as either 1 or 11. A “hard hand” is a hand that does not contain an ace or contains an ace that can only be counted as 1 so as not to bust. A dealer’s ace always counts as 11.
Each Blackjack player receives 2 cards and the aim is to reach a total of 21 with your cards, or to be closer to 21 than the dealer/croupier who, of course, is also competing in the game. Players can receive as many cards as they wish. This is achieved by what’s known as hitting. Or they can choose to stand and receive no more cards. When a tie occurs between the player and the dealer, the hand becomes a push and the player keeps his bet. Generally speaking, dealers are required to hit when they have 16 or less, and will stop when they have 17 or more.
