BEST ONLINE BLACKJACK CASINO SITES FOR 2025

Blackjack's immediate precursor was the English version of twenty-one called Vingt-Un, a game of unknown provenance, but probably of Spanish origin.

The first written reference is found in a book by the Spanish author Miguel Cervantes, 

The first record of the game in France occurs in 1768 and Britain during the 1770s and 1780s, but the first rules anywhere appear in Britain in 1800 under the name of Vingt-Un 

 Twenty-One appeared in the United States in the early 1800s, still known in those days as 

Vingt-Un. The first rules were an 1825 reprint of the 1800 English rules. English Vingt-Un later developed into an American variant in its own right which was renamed blackjack around 1899.

Canadians didn't see blackjack until the mid-19th century and critiqued the game as inferior to both craps and poker. As stated earlier, to get players to "twenty-one" tables, casinos started to offer ten-to-1 odds. 

 In the game blackjack, players are each dealt two cards, face up or down depending on the casino and the table. In the U.S., the dealer is also dealt two cards, normally one up (exposed) and one down (hidden). In most other countries, the dealer only receives one card face up. The value of cards two through ten is their pip value (2 through 10). Face cards (Jack, Queen, and King) are all worth ten. Aces can be worth one or eleven. A hand's value is the sum of the card values. Players are allowed to draw additional cards to improve their hands. A hand with an ace valued as 11 is called "soft", meaning that the hand will not bust by taking an additional card. The value of the ace will become one to prevent the hand from exceeding 21. Otherwise, the hand is called "hard".

Once all the players have completed their hands, it is the dealer's turn. The dealer hand will not be completed if all players have either busted or received blackjacks. The dealer then reveals the hidden card and must hit until the cards total up to 17 points. At 17 points or higher, the dealer must stay. (At most tables the dealer also hits on a "soft" 17, i.e. a hand containing an ace and one or more other cards totaling six.) You are betting that you have a better hand than the dealer. The better hand is the hand where the sum of the card values is closer to 21 without exceeding 21. The detailed outcome of the hand follows:

If the player is dealt an Ace and a ten-value card (called a "blackjack" or "natural"), and the dealer does not, the player wins and usually receives a bonus.

• If the player exceeds a sum of 21 ("busts"), the player loses, even if the dealer also exceeds 21.
• If the dealer exceeds 21 ("busts") and the player does not, the player wins.
• If the player attains a final sum higher than the dealer and does not bust, the player wins.
• If both dealer and player receive a blackjack or any other hands with the same sum called a "push", no one wins.

Blackjack has over 100 rule variations. In the 1960s, blackjack became a high-profile target of advantage players particularly card counters, who track the profile of cards that have been dealt and adapt their wagers and playing strategies accordingly.

In response, casinos have introduced counter-measures that can increase the difficulty of advantage play.

Playing blackjack online offers several advantages over playing in a land-based casino. 

Players can play whenever they want, without leaving the house. If a player is new to the game they don’t have to worry about making any mistakes or annoying other players. 

The game is also played at a much faster pace, meaning players can get through a lot more hands. 

There are lots of different variants of blackjack, and when playing in a land based casino, players may only find one or two of these available. This limits the choice of games somewhat and highlights a major advantage of playing online.