Blackjack
Over the years the origin of Blackjack, like many other games, has eluded researchers for a long time and which continues to be hotly debated to this day. Till date there has been no clear consensus, but most agree it probably originated in French casinos around 1700, where it was called Vingt-et-Un, which translated means twenty-one. Most believe it was probably derived from the French card games, Chemin de Fer, and French Ferme, which were in popular at that time. Another version was prevalent in Spain, called One and Thirty. The basic rule of the Spanish version was to reach 31 with a minimum of three cards. Another theory is that Blackjack was an invention by the Romans. It is believed that Romans used to play this game with wooden blocks of different numerical values. This theory holds some weight as Romans loved gambling, but that by no means confirms the theory. Among the various versions of the game, Vingt-et-Un or 21 continued to grow in popularity and reach. It gradually spread to North America thanks to French colonists and soon after was played throughout the continent. The rules of Blackjack were then different from those of modern Blackjack. The game was still termed '21' when it gained popularity in Nevada in 1931 when the State first chose to make gambling legal. Its origin is disputed, but it is certainly related to several French and Italian gambling games. To draw more people to the game, some casinos then offered a special bet: A hand featuring either of the black jacks (the Jack of Spades or that of Clubs) plus the Ace of Spades would pay 10-to-1 odds on the lucky player's bet. Although casinos later discontinued this payout, the name blackjack remained, as the game is known today. Blackjack played today was not created by any one person at one definite point of time, but has changed over centuries, and continues to change. Fueling its popularity the online casino industry has developed various versions of the game which has truly revolutionized it.