Casino Games

Why is Blackjack Called Blackjack?

Here at Casino777.ch, we strive to provide our players with the ultimate casino online experience by continually updating the games library with the hottest releases from leading names in the iGaming world. Blackjack online is a casino classic but many people don’t know where the name originated from. So, we’re here to help!

The Name Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the most popular games that you can play at many land-based and online casinos. Its origins are unknown, but according to the available evidence, it most likely comes from Spain.

In England, players refer to the game as Vingt-Un while in Spain, players called it Veintiuna. Now, the modern version of blackjack is an immediate precursor to this version of the game.

There is a popular myth about the name of the game, which dates back to its first appearance in the US. It was during the 1800s when people called the game Vingt-Un (Twenty-One). But, some sources indicated that the myth dates either from the First World War or the 1930s.

At that time, gambling houses were offering bonus payouts as a way to attract more players to try out the game. The same thing that many casinos are doing right now for blackjack online. One type of promotion that was available back then was the ten-to-one payout.

It rewarded every player that would get a winning hand that featured the Ace of Spades and the Black Jack. The Black Jack could be either the Jack of Spades or the Jack of Clubs.

People called this hand “Blackjack”, and the name stuck for this game long after the gambling houses withdrew the bonus. In the modern version, we say that you’ve got a blackjack if you hit 21 on your first two cards.

However, Thierry Depaulis, a French card historian, debunks this famous myth. He indicates that the prospectors gave the name blackjack to the American version of the game during the Klondike Gold Rush. In case you don’t know, the featured Gold Rush went on from 1896 up until 1899.

Deapulis claims that the bonus that players would get required the usual Ace and any 10-valued card. Many don’t know that the name “blackjack” also refers to the mineral zincblende. It is a type of mineral that people often associated with silver or gold deposits.

Now, Depaulis suggests that this mineral was the main reason why players would refer to the top bonus hand as blackjack. Also, he didn’t find any type of evidence that shows a special promotion that rewarded players for getting an Ace and a Black Jack.

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