Blackjack is one of the casinos top table games, with thousands of players making their way to their favourite table or logging on to an online casino each week. Head over to try one of the best Blackjack Online at Paddy Power games to see what all the fuss is about.
Yet Blackjack is more than a leisure game. It comes with an extensive history and is a source of income for many people, including professional players. Blackjack is an interesting game, so in line with its European name 21, we’ve compiled a list of 21 facts for you to discover.
You can’t count cards online
The reason for this is that the decks for online Blackjack are continuously shuffled. With the first Continuous Shuffling Machine created in 2000, many online and offline casinos have coined them to prevent card counters from gaining an advantage. Of course, not all brick-and-mortar casinos have adopted this machine, but all online casinos have.
One of the oldest gambling games
The earliest mention of Blackjack dates back to the late 16th and early 17th century. In comparison with other popular games, Roulette was created in the 18th century and Poker in the 19th century.
Getting to 21 is not the aim of the game
Contrary to popular belief, reaching 21 should not be your aim. The object of the game is to beat the dealer. This could mean standing on a hard 13 as there is a good chance the dealer will go bust. Aiming to hit 21 often leads to going bust.
Card counting isn’t illegal
Although it is frowned upon and can land you in being ejected from a casino, it is legal to count cards. It is the casino’s right to ask you to leave under the premises rights to ‘refuse service to anyone’ law. If you’re going to practise card counting, at least learn to be discreet about it.
The house edge is 1% or less
Blackjack has one of the best odds from all the casino games with the house edge being anywhere from 0.5% up to 1% in a single deck of cards.
The Blackjack Hall of Fame
The game has a Hall of Fame, filled with the most memorable names from Blackjack. It currently holds 24 members with the 2019 inductee being Rob Reitzen.
The longest time dealing a game of Blackjack
A Guinness World Record attempt succeeded when Stephen De Raffaele dealt the game for 51 hours and 33 minutes in August 2001. The attempt took place in Malta and still stands today.
Originated in France as Vingt-et-un
The game was founded in France, as the game of 21, or Vingt-et-un in French. When it travelled over to America, casinos promoted the game by offering additional winnings for any player whose winning hand contained a ‘black jack’.
16 is the worst hand in Blackjack
Statistically speaking, being dealt a hand of 16 will more than likely end in defeat. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most common hands.
5 is the most powerful card
This is because it affects the deck most, resulting in a 0.64% increase in the house edge, which is more than any other number.
Celebrity Blackjack players
It isn’t only us regular folks that love Blackjack. You’ll see stars such as Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in the casinos too.
The chance of getting a natural Blackjack is 4.8% in a single deck
Al Francesco coined the idea of Blackjack teams
After taking influence from Edward O. Thorp and Lawrence Revere, Francesco invented the idea of Blackjack teams. Something that has gone on to prove most popular in recent years, the most famous being the MIT Blackjack Team who have won millions throughout their historic past.
Cut cards determine when a deck needs to be shuffled
If you are in a casino and you receive a plain card, it means the deck needs shuffling before playing another hand.
11 is the third best hand in Blackjack after 21 and 20
If you take the notion that reaching 21 is not the aim of the game, it is easy to understand why 11 is the third best hand. It will give you the best chance to hit for another card without going bust.
Other players do not affect your chances of winning
Contrary to belief, other players in the game do not change your odds. As previously stated, the goal is to beat the dealer, not other players at the table.
Never take insurance
Although many professionals advise this, taking insurance more often than not lands you with a loss.
The Four Horseman were real
In the recent films Now You See Me and Now You See Me 2, the Four Horsemen are magicians who fool the public in dramatic stunts. But in real life, they were the connoisseurs of basic strategy in the ‘50s.
Blackjack has had a large influence on pop culture
The popular casino game has been featured in many films and TV shows across the world. The most famous of the films is 21, which is a story derived from the real-life antics of the MIT Blackjack Team.
Red discard trays are to catch cheaters
Often, brick-and-mortar casinos will use red plastic for discard trays. This is because the red film will show invisible ink, allowing the casino to catch cheaters. In some casinos, you might see the dealer wearing red-tinted glasses instead.
The dealer will bust almost a third of all hands
The odds are the same for player and dealer alike. They stand at 29.1% to be exact. Some players take comfort in knowing they the dealer is no better off than the player.