Return to Casino Games History


Blackjack is probably the world's most popular card game. Even if you've never stepped foot into a casino, you're most likely familiar with its basic rules and strategy. Bitcoin Casino offers both live and video versions.

Blackjack, in its classic form, pits the player or players against the dealer. Most players believe the ultimate goal in blackjack is to get as close to 21 as possible, while others simply try to beat the dealer without going over. It takes both chance and skill to succeed at blackjack, and while notorious card counters have created a stigma around the game, its popularity has exploded globally with the online gambling market.


Each player places their bets before them, and clockwise, the dealer deals one card at a time face down until two cards to each player are dealt. The blackjack dealer is included in each round, exposing one card up and one down. You determine, based on the dealer's exposed card, whether or not you want to "stay" and keep the cards you are dealt or request one or more cards to increase your hand's value - keeping in mind the cards of other players in the round and how much you may need to beat the dealer. If your first two cards are a combination of an ace and a 10 or any face card (jack, king, or queen), you've automatically won the hand and should receive your winnings immediately. However, if there are other players at the table, they will continue to compete against the dealer. If you choose to draw and exceed 21, you've lost the round and your cards are immediately collected. Any player in the deal that reaches 21 wins, or in the case that the dealer also reaches 21, you push and keep your bet(s). The balance between trying to reach 21, and not passing it or "going bust" is your best strategy.


Blackjack today looks and feels very different than when it first originated during the Middle Ages in Europe. There are no documented records of the game originating in one particular time period or country, but the game is said to be made up of several similar games that were played during that period.

Quinze, One-and-Thirty, Trente-et-Quatre, Vingt-Un, Seven-and-a-Half and Baccarat are all possible origins of blackjack as we know it today. These games all have one thing in common – they require the player to reach a certain number in order to win. Following different variations and styles, this is how the current game of blackjack evolved.

Standardized decks of cards were first printed in 1440 by Johann Guttenberg and within a few years, card games were hugely popular amongst the rich and royalty. Most of the new card games required players to reach a certain card-count total. Baccarat first emerged in Italy in the 1490s and required players to reach a total of 9. Another one of blackjack’s ancestors known as Seven-and-a-Half was played with 8s, 9s and 10s and face cards counted as a half. This was the first game in which a player automatically became ‘bust’ if their cards totaled over the required number – seven-and-a-half.

Spanish One-and Thirty dealt the player three cards and then three community cards were dealt to the center table. Each player took one community card in exchange for a card in their hand, and this motion continued until each player was content. The card totals were then counted and levels of points were given according to the cards’ values: 31 was the ideal score.

A number of French games are also said to be part of the originating roots of blackjack. In the early 1880s a game called Quinze became very popular, which was also a card game requiring the reaching of 15. Another, titled Trente-et-Quarante, was played with six decks of cards in which the dealer set out a row of black cards and a row of red cards, with players betting on each row. When each row totaled over thirty, the row was closed and the bets on the row closest to 31 won even money.

The closest early version of today's blackjack is the French card game known as Vingt-Un (21). The original Vingt-Un was played quite differently, however, while the goal of the game was to reach a ‘natural’ 21. In the early version of the game, the cards were dealt in rounds, followed by betting in each round. Only the Dealer had the right to double and if he got a ‘natural’ he would be paid triple by the other players.


In the late 1800's and early 1900's there was no government regulation on betting and gambling, providing the perfect breeding ground for widespread gambling, and blackjack in particular. When the government decided in the early 1900s that gambling led to corruption and organized crime, law-abiding blackjack players were collectively punished and forced to play underground.

In 1910, the State of Nevada made gambling illegal, bringing to an end the era of blackjack and other table games. Twenty years later, after the Great Depression, states with struggling economies legalized gambling and formed committes to monitor casinos and protect gamblers.

Nevada's early renewal of the gambling market was the best thing to happen to blackjack and Las Vegas, eventually becoming the United State's most popular gambling destination.


During the initial launch of online casinos, blackjack was one of the first games offered, and while the game was already wildly popular, online casinos made it easily available to the masses.

Bitcoin Casino offers both live and video blackjack variations, making it easy for you to find the type of remote blackjack table that best suits that best suits your entertainment needs. Our live dealers also provide information, gaming strategies, and different betting methods.

With the choice of several blackjack tables and video variations available in one click for fun and using bitcoin, beginning players can practice on free or low limit tables without turning the pastime into a costly affair and seasoned players can enjoy the privacy or personal interaction with live dealers.

Strategy used in land casinos don't always work the same online as each site may have its own house rules.

The future of blackjack, in general and online blackjack in particular, is totally open. Technological changes are occurring at a rapid pace in the online casino industry and exciting updates in the world of blackjack will happen, accordingly. You can count on and it's partners to stay ahead of the curve in terms of innovation.
