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• History of Blackjack

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From those early days to today, when you can play blackjack online and also in land-based casinos, the game of blackjack has come a long way. In this article, we will take a brief look at the history of the game of blackjack.

Most people agree today that the game of Blackjack actually originated from a French game called Vingt-en-Un, which was popular in the casinos in France during the 17th century. Vingt-en-un translates to? 21? In French, which is also another name the game of blackjack is known today as. It is also known as Pontoon.

There was another game popular at around the same time, i.e. the 17th century, in Italy. This game was called Seven and a Half, and involved the face cards and the 7s, 8s, and 9s of the card deck. Face cards were valued at half a point and the regular cards (7s, 8s, and 9s) were valued at one point. The wild card in the deck was the king of diamonds. A player was ?busted? when he reached seven and a half points. This is where the term ?bust? that you use in blackjack came from. Incidentally, the player who reached seven and a half points first won the game.

The game of blackjack made the jump across the oceans and towards North America some time after the French Revolution. The game slowly gained in popularity in North America. One important factor contributing to the growing popularity of blackjack in North America at that time was the lack of prohibitory rules against card games.

Once people, mostly the gambling professionals, realized the enormous possibilities that blackjack brought, and the money that could be made by winning, they started formulating strategies to ensure they won more than they lost. This is when the concept of using strategy to win in blackjack officially kicked off.

Towards the beginning of the 19th century, the attitude of the U.S. government towards gambling underwent a radical change. Identifying it as a corrupt influence and the breeding ground for violent crime, the government of the United States banned gambling. This was another cornerstone in the checkered and colorful history of blackjack.
With laws prohibiting gambling in place and Federal Marshals trying to ensure there was no gambling, the game of blackjack went underground. Once it went underground, the popularity of blackjack soared even further. Finally, the government yielded and the state of Nevada gave official recognition to gambling legally, and the gambling capital of the world, Las Vegas, was born.

Once gambling was legalized, casinos sprung up in Las Vegas, and you could now freely walk into a casino and play blackjack there. The popularity of the game continued to rise, though it was not a very rapid rise. That soon changed, once the Internet came about in the 1990s.

With the advent of the Internet, the gambling establishment went online, and the popularity of most of the gambling games soared sky-high, including blackjack. Now you could play blackjack online. Online blackjack was even more fun than playing at a land-based casino, because of the bonuses and the perks and other benefits that came from playing blackjack online.

It's a great game, and exciting, and you can win money as consistently if you play blackjack with the correct methods and attitude.

First you have to understand the game, and then we will show you some basic tips to play blackjack that will help you play and win so lets get started.

• The dealer will deal you (all players) two cards, and then the dealer gets 2 cards, one showing and hidden.
• You may think that the object of the game is to get as near to 21 as you can (even a 21 with an ace and face card or 10, which is called Blackjack). This is NOT the object of the game. The object is simply to beat the dealer.
• After you have received your cards, you can ask for additional cards "hit", as many as you wish, just so long as you do not bust (go over 21).
• Blackjack rules clearly state that the dealer must continue to hit until 17, and then stop. Should there be a tie; the dealer will win only if he had a real blackjack (an ace with a 10).
• The Game of Blackjack Getting the odds in your favor
• The rules may be easy, but to play blackjack as the pros do, takes some work.
• You see, the pro has to know all the odds. The pro will know how to make the odds work in his favor and increase and decrease bet size according to the odds.
• Although some casinos still use a single deck or double deck game, most casinos have use a shoe with six or sometimes eight decks.
• A good point to remember is that with multiple decks, the casino usually pays out at 3:2. Always make sure you know the payout before you begin.
• Some casinos will load the odds in their favor and pay out at 6:5, which is not good at all.

• Before you even start to play blackjack, sit down and learn this basic strategy
• Were you dealt an ace? Yes? then
• If your second card is an 8 or 9, then STAND.
• If your second card is a 6 or less, then HIT
• If your second card is a 7, watch the dealer's hand and decide
• Were you dealt a pair (of the same card but different suit)? Yes? Then:
• If you have a pair of 4s, 5s, 9s 10s, then SPLIT Anything else, don't SPLIT
• Were you dealt something else but a pair and an ace? Yes, then;
• If your cards equal 17 or more, then STAND
• If your cards equal 11 or less: then HIT
• If your cards equal 12 until 16; watch the dealer's hand and decide
• Three Special FACTUAL Tips
•  The 52 card deck (or multiples) all have 30% of the cards with the value of "10"

Playing Blackjack is fairly easy to learn. But learning to play the game well takes education and playing practice. The Blackjack is all about the total of 21 when adding up the cards dealt to you and the same applies for the dealer. The cards equal face value from 2 through nine.

Ten and face cards are each a total of ten and the aces are either one or eleven. The premise of the game is to get as close as you can to 21 without going over or busting your hand. The dealer must hit (take a card) any hand that totals less than 17. If the dealer has a soft 17, which is six and an ace, the dealer must hit the hand. Any hand that totals over 17 the dealer will stand pat on that hand. The player has no such rules. The player can stand on any total they wish to stop at.

The game begins with each player electing an amount to bet on the hand up to the table limit. The deal begins with each of the players being dealt two face up cards and the dealer being dealt one face down (the hole card) and one face up. These cards are dealt in order. Each player adds up their card total and then makes a decision about what they will do when it is their go to hit the hand.

If the dealer is dealt a blackjack, the hand stops and the dealer wins all hands that are not a blackjack. A player with a blackjack hand would tie the dealer and the bet would stay up. Blackjack is an ace and a card with a value of ten.

The most major rule of blackjack is to let the dealer bust and keep your hand in play. The only time you would hit a bustable hand is when the dealer is showing a seven or higher card. If you have between sixteen and twelve you should hit the hand if the dealer has a seven or better showing.

Any time the dealer has a bust card showing the player should not hit their hand. The exception is if you have a total of ten or eleven, you should double your bet if the dealer is showing a break card. If the dealers face up card could be part of a good hand, it is a decision based on how your luck has been going. There is a good deal extra to this game. A new player would be wise to read a book on blackjack or go on the Internet and read further about the play of blackjack and the various other rules.

• Always assume the dealer's hidden card is a 10.
• The actual chances of are high. Also assume that whoever hits, you or the dealer, will get a 10 more times than you won't.
• When a dealer's has a 6 or less showing, he must take at least one hit to get to 17.
• That means that his chances of busting are HIGH. Sometimes you will do well to stand at 12!
• Here we have given you the bare basics, but if you follow them, you can play well and only with a small disadvantage to the house and with a good chance of winning.
• To win consistently you need to!
• Card count and all the facts you need to put the odds in your favor with card counting systems that can make you money are contained in the follow up article to this one.
• Digest what you have learned here on playing blackjack, then move to card counting and you will soon be winning consistently at Blackjack.