The ancestor of blackjack was a game called “Twenty-one,” the origins of which are unknown. The writings of Miguel de Cervantes indicate that the game, which was called Ventiuna, the Spanish word for “twenty-one,” was played early in the seventeenth century. The word “blackjack” actually originated in the US when US gambling houses offered bonus payouts on the game. One of these was the 10:1 payout for a hand comprising an ace of spades and a black jack, which was the term used for a Jack of Spades or a Jack of Clubs. The hand came to be called “blackjack,” and the name remained although gambling houses stopped offering the 10:1 bonus payout. Today, blackjack means any hand that equals point value 21.

Game Rules

Blackjack is a simple strategy card game that is played with one deck of 52 playing cards. Players are required to place a bet, after which they are dealt a pair of cards. Now, players can split, double down, fold, hit, or stand, depending on the nature of the cards dealt to them. The aim is to create a hand as close to point value 21 as possible.

Classic blackjack allows players to split equal cards, but they cannot split face cards. If players split an ace pair, they will receive only one extra card for each ace. Since players will be playing two hands after splitting, they will be required to place an additional bet. The game allows players to split or double their bets only once.

At the end of the game, the hands are compared and payouts are awarded to the stronger hand. If players get blackjack or a hand equaling 21, they will receive a payout of 3:2. Casino players are fond of classic blackjack because it has a low house edge of 0.13% and players can lower it even further by implementing proper strategies.

Blackjack Variants

Aussie online casinos offer several variants of blackjack. However, they are all based on the same rules of classic blackjack with slight differences to set them apart from one another. Australian players can choose from variants such as Double Exposure Blackjack, in which the dealer’s cards are always exposed; Five Hand, in which players can play five hands simultaneously; Multiplayer Blackjack, in which players can play against other players; and Progressive Blackjack, a blackjack game with a progressive jackpot; to mention just a few.