» Blackjack History The origin of the game Blackjack is still discussed. Some people believe that Blackjack is based on some European card games. French “Vingt-Un” (21), “Trente et Quarente” (20 and 30), “Chemin de Fer” (Railroad), Spanish “One and Thirty” and Italian “Baccara” and “Seven and a Half” come to the United States in the 19th century and were very popular. For some time casinos and gambling houses were forbidden. In the Western part of the USA gambling was legal from the 1850’s to 1910. In Nevada gambling was illegal from 1910 to 1931. In 1931 gambling was legalized in Nevada. When casino gambling was legalized Blackjack became one of the most popular games. The most popular types of Blackjack were played with one or two decks. The first article about Blackjack was titled “The Optimum Strategy in Blackjack”. Roger Baldwin explained how to reduce the “House”, or casino, advantage based upon probability and statistics. “Beat the Dealer” was published in 1962 by the Mathematics Professor Edward O. It was Edward O. Thorp who developed and wrote about the first card counting systems. A lot of people read books about casinos, casino games and gambling. After “Beat the Dealer” was published much more people began to play at casinos. People wanted to implement Thorp’s strategy. When Blackjack rules were changed in some casinos most people stopped playing Blackjack. Thorp’s book ended up making money for casinos, as it increased the amount of Blackjack being played. Thorp’s strategy seemed complicated and difficult for some players. Julian Braun was one of the most important contributors to modern Blackjack strategy. Mr Braun improved Dr. Thorp’s code. Troph, Braun and others made Blackjack very popular. Blackjack History

» "Blackjack" ia also called "21". Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games in the world. Those who play different casino games spend most of their time playing Blackjack. Blackjack rules are easy to understand and to learn. Every player and the dealer have two cards each. Each player's hand is played against the dealer's hand only. If you obtain a hand value closer to twenty-one without going over than the dealer does, you will win your hand. An ace and a ten valued card will give you 21 or blackjack. When you receive a blackjack, the dealer will pay you three chips for every two that you have bet. If both you and the dealer have blackjacks you neither lose nor win. It is you who is to determine when to "hit" (take another card) and when to "stand" (stop taking cards). There are fixed rules governing the play for the dealer. The dealer must hit until he has seventeen or more. If the dealer gets a hand value less than or equal to twenty-one and greater than a player's hand value, a player loses his bet. If both a player and the dealer has the same hand value, it is known as a "push". If your hand value goes over twenty-one, you "bust" and lose your bet. The dealer always plays out his hand last, which gives the dealer his greatest advantage over the players. Players have the advantage of flexible play. Players have four options. Players determine when to hit, when to stand, when to split (play two separate hands) and when to double down (double your wager in favorable situations) About Blackjack

» Soft and Hard Hands. If you have an ace in your hand that counts as eleven, you have what is known as a "soft hand". If you hold no aces or have an ace in your hand that counts as one, you have a "hard hand". Think of an ace in your hand as "soft" because the hand value can always be reduced. If you have a soft hand, you hold a distinct advantage over the dealer Soft and Hard Hands in Blackjack

» Insurance. The insurance option is simply another form of wager that is offered to the players when the dealer has an ace showing. If you think that the dealer has a blackjack you can take the insurance. If you win the insurance bet, the dealer will pay you by simply leaving your original wager on the table Insurance

» Blackjack Terminology. Push happens if the hand value of the dealer and of the player is equal. If there is a ‘Push’ nobody wins and nobody loses. Shoe is a plastic box, which stands on the table and from which the players receive cards. ’To burn after a cut’ means ‘to place up to 5 cards into the discard box before the deal’. Blackjack Terminology

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UK Blackjack Directory with reviews of the rules, bonuses, bets, blackjack casinos and blackjack strategies for players of United Kingdom