Dear Mark,
How did blackjack come into being and arrive at the number 21? Why not 18 or 33?
Also, where did the 3 to 2 payoff come from? Nick B.
Just about every card game has a unique history, but unfortunately historians
cannot always uncover the full trace of a game. Blackjack is one such shadowy
customer. It confounds some researchers even today.
Many scholars believe that blackjack was derived from French games such as
"French Ferme" and "Chemin de fer." When a game resembling
blackjack first appeared in French casinos around the early 1700s, it was called
"vingt-et-un," meaning twenty-and-one, and most likely, Nick, the
genesis of the number 21.
The word blackjack got its name from one of its winning hands, a jack an ace,
both of spades. If a player was dealt these two cards, they not only won the
hand, but also got an additional bonus.
When blackjack was first introduced in America, it wasn’t very popular,
so in order to attract players, gambling houses of ill repute tried gimmick
bonuses and payouts. One such reward was a 10-to-1 payoff if the player held
the ace of spades and any black jack, hence the name blackjack, American style.
The name "blackjack" stuck, even though the bonus payoffs were eventually
eliminated.
Yet blackjack was still not as popular as either craps or roulette, so to stimulate
interest, casino operators offered a 3-to-2 payoff for any two-card count of
21, and a 10-to-1 payout if the 21 consisted of the ace of spades and either
the jack of spades or jack of clubs. Eventually the 10-to-1 payout was once
again eliminated but the 3-to-2 payoff and the term" 21" remained
as an alternative name for the game.
In 1919, tables manufactured in Chicago with the "Blackjack Pays Odds
of 3 to 2" motto began appearing in illegal gambling joints throughout
America. Then once gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1931, the popularity
of blackjack grew to its No. 1 table-game status that it still holds today.
Dear Mark,
For a home game of poker, should "cards speak" or should the player
call his or her hand? We’ve always played that a player must call his hand,
but in casinos "cards speak" seems to rule. Please comment. David
T.
Played almost exclusively at home, in gamblese you’re playing what’s
called a "declare game", where a player calls the value of his or
her hand to claim the pot. In most poker rooms, "cards speak," meaning,
that the value of your hand is determined solely by your cards. You do not have
to declare your hand to claim the part of the pot you win.
Personally, I believe "cards speak" is a fairer rule, even at a kitchen
table setting, because the player with the best hand should win the pot. It’s
easy enough, David, to pilfer the billfolds of newbie players, so I’m for
cutting novices some slack when they overlook a potentially better winning hand.
Even on my last outing, a 20-year battle-scarred veteran caught and declared
a losing straight on the river that he completely overlooked his more powerful
winning jack-high straight flush. The gentlemanly thing to do was to give him
the pot anyway.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Some players prefer to rely on hunches
and superstition. That's OK, but it's expensive. -- Basil Nestor, "Casino
Player"
