Blackjack
History
Like many card games, Blackjack started off in France in the 1700's, probably because the legionnaires had to nothing else to do.
When it was introduced in the US under the name vingt-et-un (21), not many players were attracted to the game. The casinos decided to get serious and offered a 10-1 payout if gamblers succeeded in getting an ace of spades and one of the two black jacks. This special marketing ploy was quickly abolished, but the name Blackjack stuck like glue.
Game rules
The beauty of Blackjack is the simplicity of its rules.
- The player who's hand has the highest total wins, but it isn't allowed to pass 21
- If the player's hand does pass 21, it's called a bust and the player loses
- Cards 2-10 are worth face value, with card J,Q & K being worth 10
- Aces are all worth 11 unless that leads to the player busting, in which case it's only worth 1
Winning
- In Blackjack, the goal is to have a higher total than the dealer without busting
- If the dealer and the player both bust, then the dealer wins
- A push is when the dealer and the player have the same hand
- Every player's hand is played independently against the dealer
Strategies
While Blackjack is a simple game, there are many different strategies which players can use to increase their odds. The general idea behind these strategies involves choosing the correct responses in certain situations. The two main Blackjack strategies are:
- Basic strategy
- Composition-dependantstrategy
