|
Blackjack: History of Black
Jack
Twenty-one first appeared in France in the
mid-eighteenth century as Vingt-et-Un, which is French for twenty
and one. The Emperor Napoleon loved this game above all others and played
it all the time. King Louis XV and his mistress Madame Du Barry held card
parties where twenty-one was the entertainment of the evening. The game came to
the United States via New Orleans then traveled up the Mississippi River on
steamboats. By the late 1800s it had spread to the saloons and gambling halls of
the old west. Twenty-one was the most popular card game of the Allied soldiers
in Europe during the First World War. By the 1950's it was the main card game in
the Las Vegas casinos, passing the old card game Faro. Today one can
play blackjack in over 106 different countries and on over 134 cruise ships
around the world.
Before any cards are dealt, the player must wager. He does this by placing
his bet in the designated space in front of his table position. The dealer then
deals two cards to each of the players, and two to himself (one of the dealer's
cards is dealt face up and one is dealt facing down).
Face cards (kings, queens and jacks) count as 10, ace counts as one or 11 (as
the player chooses) and all other cards are counted at their face value.
BLACKJACK - If the player's first two cards are an ace and
a 10 or face card, he wins. However, if the dealer also has a blackjack, it is a
standoff, as are all ties or pushes. A winning blackjack pays the player 3 to 2.
HIT or STAND - Hit means to draw another card (which the
player signifies by scraping the table with his cards or a similar hand motion).
Stand means no more cards (which the player signals by placing his cards under
his wager or moving his hand in a horizontal direction. If the player hits and
busts (goes over 21), he immediately turns his cards over and his wager is lost.
DOUBLE DOWN - The player is allowed to double the bet on
his first two cards and draw one additional card only to improve his hand.
SPLITTING PAIRS - If the first two cards a player is dealt
are a pair, he may split them into two separate hands, bet the same amount on
each and then play them separately. Aces receive only one additional card. After
splitting, A-10 counts as 21 and not as blackjack.
INSURANCE - If the dealer's up card is an ace, the player
may take insurance, a bet not exceeding one-half his original bet. If the
dealer's down card is a 10 or any face card, the player wins 2 to 1. Any other
card means a win for the dealer.
SURRENDER - Where permitted, a player may give up his first
two cards and lose only one-half his original bet.
The dealer must draw on 16 and stand on 17. In some
casinos, the dealer is required to draw on soft 17.
Related Links:
|
