In its most basic form, blackjack is one of the easiest casino games to learn. In England, where players were rewarded for drawing both the jack and ace of spades as their first two cards, it became known as “ Blackjack.” But whether it’s “21” “California Aces” or even “Ochko” blackjack continues to be one of gambling’s perennial favorites. In Russia, the game was called “Ochko” (roughly translated as “the hole’). Regardless of its origins, so popular was the game that it quickly emigrated globally, taking on slight changes in both name and rules to suit regional appetites.
One of the first recorded descriptions of the game places its appearance in France during the 17th century, where it thrilled gamblers under its simple, yet appropriate appellation “vingt-et-un.” Some gaming historians, however, contend that rather than originating in France, vingt-et-un was nothing more that a variation of Spain’s already popular game “One and Thirty” or perhaps even a spin-off of Italy’s Baccarat. Like many of our favorite casino games, the exact origins of blackjack are forever lost to history.
