If we asked you to name a famous card game, which would you say? Plenty of people would answer with Blackjack, which remains one of the most popular games on offer in casinos today.
This classic card game dates back literal centuries, so far that people can’t entirely say exactly where it got its start. Over the years, it has developed a lot to keep up with the times, so follow us as we chart the game’s journey from French parlours to online platforms and the creation of live Blackjack.
The origins of Blackjack
Our journey starts in Europe – naturally – where card games with a similar premise to Blackjack were a popular pastime. The main candidate for Blackjack’s start is a game known as Vingt-et-Un, which rose to attention during the 17th century.
Just like modern Blackjack, the aim of a game of Vingt-et-Un was to achieve a hand value as close to 21 as possible, but no greater than. The relative simplicity of its gameplay made it a clear hit with players throughout Europe, with versions of the game making their way to UK and North America.
Blackjack got its modern name from gold prospectors playing the game in Canada. They named the highest value hand – a 21 – after one of the minerals found near gold and silver deposits in the area. Since it was a catchier name, it naturally caught on and spread to casinos in the US.
The move to online play
Once Blackjack became a casino staple, it remained largely unchanged for centuries. The only real changes were variations in house rules and the material of the chips on the table.The advent of the internet led to a major shift for Blackjack, however. As casinos began exploring the possibility of online play Blackjack was one of the first games to make the jump from land-based to digital.
Thanks to its popularity and the straightforward manner of its gameplay Blackjack was an obvious candidate for use in online casinos.
Many of the earliest online Blackjack games were quite limited in their visuals and graphics, thanks to the technological limitations of the time. But that didn’t stop players from trying out the online format.
Over time developers were able to create more graphically advanced Blackjack games, as well as experimenting with elements of the classic game’s formula. As online casinos were not limited by physical floor space, they could also offer a greater number of Blackjack varieties to players, rather than just sticking to the most mainstream format.
Live Blackjack
Not only did advancing technology improve the looks of digital Blackjack games, it also led to the creation of a hybrid format. Once broadband speeds improved and live streaming technology took off casinos were able to offer live dealer games, which fused live streamed elements with an online interface.
High-definition cameras are able to capture the various angles of the physical Blackjack table and stream them directly to the devices of watching players. Combined with the presence of the live dealer who conducts play and deals out the physical cards, this creates a unique twist on the digital Blackjack experience.
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Like many classic games, Blackjack has proved its ability to endure over time and adapt to new technologies.
