10 Things You May Not Have Known About Blackjack
- Mateo
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games in the world, with a variety of different formats and play styles. Over the years, there have been plenty of developments that have led to the game that we have now, since it was created back in the 1700s. Today, we have many different ways of playing, rules can vary worldwide, as well as even having the ability to play live casino blackjack rather than play in a brick and mortar casino. With that being said, let’s take a look at 10 things you may not have known about blackjack.
The World’s Biggest Blackjack Table
The world’s biggest blackjack table is a lot bigger than you may think. Created in the Viejas Casino in Alpine, California, the biggest blackjack table ever created was 2,226 feet. The table required larger scale cards due to the sheer size of the table, with dealers having to walk to each player as a result of the table’s width.
Longest Time Dealing Blackjack
While a game of blackjack can take up to roughly 2 minutes, the longest time a dealer has dealt blackjack was recorded in 2001 in a Maltese casino. The dealer managed to deal blackjack for 51 hours and 33 minutes. This would have been over 2 days, and on average, a possibility of over 1,500 games of blackjack could’ve been played.
Card Counting is NOT Illegal
Card counting is looked at by casinos as unfair and a reasonable offence to remove someone from a game or even ban them from the casino, however, it is not actually an illegal strategy in the rules of blackjack. It gives the player an advantage over the dealer by calculating when the player may have an advantage, assisting in betting strategies and how the player will continue the game.
Growth During the French Revolution
During the period of the French Revolution, the game of blackjack was banned in the US and France. Typically, you would expect the game to drop in popularity; however, due to the ban, people became more curious and interested in why the game was banned, resulting in more players wanting to play the card game. It was a massive turning point for the game, acquiring more players and broader interest from people who hadn’t even considered playing the game.
The Worst Possible Hand
The worst possible hand in blackjack may not be what you would have expected. The worst possible hand is said to be 16, a double 8, as a result of running the risk of going bust if you choose to hit, but also the risk of being beaten by the dealer due to the lower value sum. There are ways to calculate what to do if this situation does occur, but it does tend to be the worst possible outcome.
The Card Dealer's Shoe
The name of the blackjack card dispenser may appear strange, being given the title of a card dealer’s shoe. The reason behind the peculiar name is a result of the earlier design of the dispenser, which appeared to look similar to a high-heeled shoe, giving a fitting name to the card dispenser.
How Long Does it Take to Randomise a Deck?
There are 52 cards in a deck. To fully randomise a deck of cards, it will take around 7 shuffles. Any less than this, a deck of cards will not be fully randomised.
The Blackjack Hall of Fame
The Blackjack Hall of Fame is located in the Barona Casino in San Diego, California. To be inducted into the hall of fame, you must be voted in by an audience of blackjack professionals, making it a very prestigious group to be amongst. It was launched in 2002 and has inducted some of the best players of the game, offering a strange incentive to all players. All players inducted into the Hall of Fame are provided with a permanent offer of free, complimentary room, food and beverages with one condition: that the player never plays a game on one of Barona’s tables.
Blackjack’s Biggest Fan
Blackjack has been played all over the world, with players coming from all 4 corners of the globe. The game originates in the 1700s in France, resulting in a large French fanbase, but one of the biggest fans of the card game was French Revolution leader, Napoleon Bonaparte. It is regarded as one of Bonaparte’s favourite ways to pass time, using the game as a way to relax while also playing it as a celebration after battle. His love for the game even led to him sharing the rules of the game and teaching English jailers how to play it.
The Name ‘Blackjack’
The game wasn’t always called blackjack, and actually only got the name we know today sometime in the 20th century. Prior to this, the term blackjack referred to a hand containing an ace of spades and a black jack. The original name of Vingt-et-un, translating to 21 in French, was replaced by the name we use today due to the strength of this hand being the strongest in the game.