The Evolution, History, and Origins of Blackjack

The history of blackjack as we know it now begins in France in the eighteenth century. Translating to Twenty-One, its original name was Vingt-et-Un. As everyone is aware, 21 is still a common moniker for the blackjack variation, particularly outside of the United States. Blackjack ‘descends’ from card games like Chemin de Fer, which were very popular in the 17th and 18th centuries among the French nobles, especially in King Louis XV’s court.

But even this scant information regarding the history of blackjack is still hotly debated. The game’s first known written record can be found in a book penned by Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes. In his short novella Rinconete y Cortadillo, card cheats in Seville are the subject rummy noble of the narrative. The regulations make it quite obvious that we are discussing Twenty-One, and as it was written in 1613, it comes before any French references. It is a French game, though, as de Cervantes mentions in passing, so you can see where things can get a little hazy.

The United States and Early Evolution
Although the origins of the game are unknown, there is ample evidence that Vingt-Un became popular in western Europe during the 18th century. For instance, it would be found all over Britain and was still mostly known by its French name.

It’s crucial to realize that for centuries most people continued to refer to the game as Vingt-Un. This covers portions of Spain as well as Britain and Germany. The fact that French was the Lingua Franca at the time may have contributed to some of this, but that is a tale for another day. Crucially, it is not until the First World War that the English word pontoon appears.

Thus, how and when did twenty-one become blackjack?

Yes, Vingt-Un arrived in America for the first time in the early 1800s. We can infer from early copies of the game’s rules that the settlers continued to employ English rules extensively. Having said that, there were variations using the name Vingt-Un in New Orleans. At this time, we can also observe the rummy perfect emergence of various rule sets in various contexts. For example, this Twernty-One Louisianna brand only permitted the merchant to double.

The thrilling card game became popular throughout the American frontier and established itself as a staple of establishments that offered legalized gambling. The moniker “blackjack” soon began to surface. The reasons for this are, as you would have suspected, also not entirely obvious.

Why Is the Game of Blackjack Called That?
Myths about gambling also started to emerge around the game as its popularity and notoriety grew. There are several myths about the name Blackjack’s origins (or even urban legends?).

The most well-known misconception about blackjack’s past has to do with the game’s name. The narrative goes that this new card game from the Old World was first unpopular with Americans in the 18th century. Gambling houses reportedly provided a 10:1 extra payout if a player’s hole cards were an ace of spades and a black jack, which is a jack of clubs or spades, in an attempt to draw players. The tradition holds that although the bonus was lost, the name remained.

However, if we follow the facts, we find no reference to this kind of bonus anywhere. Which makes sense because rummy loot it would theoretically eliminate the game’s meager house advantage.

Historian Thierry Depaulis claims that the name alludes to the zincblende or sphalerite mineral. During the Klondike Gold Rush, this ore was connected to gold and silver resources in Mississippi. Prospectors also referred to it as “blackjack,” therefore Depaulis believes it was included to the American rulebook for Twenty-One.

While we’re talking about near-myth, we also need to discuss Eleanor Dumont’s impact. Dumont was one of the earliest well-known female card dealers in history and a legendary gambler during the California Gold Rush era. Her winning streaks and gambling dens became well-known throughout the American West, and she is largely responsible for popularizing blackjack.