When my dear old Grandad (God rest his soul) introduced me to Blackjack, I was about 6 and he didn’t call it that. He simply referred to the game by the literal “21’s”. The probable reason for this is that he was taught the game at a time when that was the only name it was known by. A brief glance at Wikipedia suggests the game was also known as twenty-one. The game itself has been with us for a period of 500 years or more. There is evidence to suggest it was played initially that far back by the Europeans, but there is some dispute as to which European nation is responsible for its inception. It seems likely it was either the French or the Italians, with the French most widely credited.

So why the change in name to the more widely employed Blackjack in today’s parlance? During the course of the early 1900’s a popular format of the game gave precedent to 21 achieved by way of an ace of spades accompanied by a jack of either clubs or spades – a “black jack”. The process has some merit you may well argue. Indeed, if you look anywhere for illustrations or promotions of the game – what is the most common card combination you will see represented? Almost invariably it is the ace of spades and the jack of the same suit. But this variant of the game seems to have lost its impetus during some point in the mid 1900’s.

History is littered with famous Blackjack players. Hailing back to France, it is said that Napoleon was a regular player of the game during period of exile and incarceration. Though a brief history lesson on the famously vertically challenged one will suggest that a dealer would not want to be beating him too often. These days the game is played by numerous luminaries and celebrities alike. Ben Affleck is a prodigious player of the game and a reputed card counter. Those who play the game professionally are far less recognizable for reasons of not wanting to have their identities that of public record. See our previous article about the ultra secret Annual Blackjack Ball. As an example of the extent to which this is the case, take those famously successful players who have been recognized and entered into the Blackjack Hall of Fame. They are honored at the Borona Hotel and Casino in San Diego, with their pictures on the wall, and where they are welcome at anytime to stay, eat drink and party – on the house – for life, on the proviso that they do not hit the tables.

Now that is some serious 21’s clout, Grandad!