Search IconXs

History of Blackjack

The First Draw 

The origin of Blackjack is about as clear as how much Bugsy Siegel actually skimmed before the Mob had had enough.  Historians can pinpoint it with some accuracy, but similar to the actual number of players that still play the game today, much is left to guess work. 

It is most widely believed that before they flipped desert sands, they flip cards in French games called Chemin De Fer and French Ferme.  From these games most believe came Vingt Et Un (Twenty and One) in the 1700’s.  From here we know Blackjack crossed the Atlantic and came to America, and was listed in Hoyle in 1875. 

Unlike the actual strategies of the game, the name came much easier.  In the early days a player would receive a bonus payout if his first two cards consisted of an Ace of Spades and Black Jack.  Seems logical - and we like logic - that the name was called Blackjack.  Over the years the game has also picked up another equally common name, 21. 

The Shuffle 

As Blackjack shuffled its way from Eastern to Western United States it made more stops than the New York Subway.  Although Blackjack was only a private game played mostly in illegal gambling houses in the early 1900’s, it found its way into Indiana and more notably, Illinois.  These were interesting times in Chicago, where in 1919, they were not only throwing down cards on newly produced green Blackjack table felts, but throwing other everyday events like the World Series! (Black Sox-Blackjack?).   

The ball really started to roll for Blackjack over the next decade, when it was played at Chicago’s Big House, an illegal casino run by associates of Al Capone between 1929 and 1950 (You would think the Mob would have picked a more appropriate name for their casino than the "Big House").  Soon after this the game got its first big payout, when in 1931 the State of Nevada legalized gambling.   

The Surrender 

With the Cards being dealt legally now, there were more busts in Vegas than Negril’s Seven Mile Beach.  As the popularity of the game grew, there were those that laid their cards on the table and said “this is how to beat this game”.  We respectfully label these gentlemen the pioneers.    Until the 1960’s players were very unsure how to play Blackjack, and apparently as of just last week, some still have no clue.   

Finally others decided to share in the casinos riches and developed basic strategies that were designed to help the player lose less.  These efforts have been recognized as belonging to a select few starting with Roger Baldwin.  Baldwin had it right, applying math to Blackjack.  He published an eye opening paper entitled “The Optimum Strategy in Blackjack”. 

The reason we admire Baldwin is although he didn’t have the computers we are blessed with now-a-days, he was able to rightly associate the game.  Ever single decision in Blackjack is based on math, not luck or superstition, not gut feeling or wishful thinking.  It is all math.  There is a mathematical right way, and a mathematical wrong way to play every single hand.

Taking Baldwin’s efforts to the next level, was our biggest inspiration, Professor Edward Thorp.  In 1962, before we were even born, Thorp devised quite possibly the biggest breakthrough in the history of Blackjack; card counting.  Thorp’s book, “Beat The Dealer” (sold 500,000 copies) had a powerful impact on the game, and still does to this very day.  Others after him only tried to fine-tune his efforts, until McB Duplin.  Without question we supported Thorp’s theories, in the sense that card counting affected the game, we just didn’t agree with his logic. 

Thorpe’s book impacted the casinos, or they thought.  The casinos became somewhat leery of card counting and card counters.  The game took on massive changes, such as the Number of Decks Used, and Shuffle Points, making card counting as difficult as possible for the player.  They continued to tamper with the rules and make big deals out of card counters, even going as far as making it public when barring them. 

This is where in our opinion things all changed.  We at McB Duplin believe that the casinos quickly realized back then; something was amiss.  People who came after Thorpe had been blinded by his work, and failed to see what we believe the casinos found out.  Card counting only had a very positive affect on the casinos, and they made big issues out of it, throwing huge misconceptions into the game.  The misconception that card counting Thorp’s way would make you a winner.  For us the real question was still forthcoming, was Thorpe’s card counting even correct?  Or were the casinos misleading the players?

Adding fuel to an already raging fire were Lawrence Revere, Stanley Roberts and of course Ken Uston.  These living legends helped catapult Blackjack into the most popular of all casino table games.  More and more books were published in the years that followed, each now speaking of computer simulations of millions of hands run.  Mathematicians, computer experts, professors and writers created their ways of playing the game, but none ever contradicted Thorp, until now.  Students of the game read 100’s of pages of strategies.   Only now are we able to prove (or disprove) the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of what they, and we, were reading! 

It seems, everyone had a book on Blackjack.  Well, everyone except us.  The question was always in our mind…why do they all talk about the math from the programs, and sell the books and not the program?  At the least, they should offer both for sale.  You can only use the excuse about computers not being readily available and popular for so long.  Bugsy only knows how many times we’ve said to ourselves back in the day “If we only had this program they are always referring to…” 

The Last Stand 

McB Duplin has uncovered all the flaws in what was said and written.  There were too many questions, and for us, not enough correct answers.  The answers we did have, from the casinos, and the people before us, did little to inspire our confidence or earn our trust.  We were convinced they were simply not right.  The answers were wrong before we came, and sadly, still are today.  We are hoping to change that.  To this very day, many casinos are handing out misleading information!  Gaming Commissions have failed the very people they were set in place to protect.  Where now do we turn for a Voice? 

The question is whom do you trust?  The casinos that supposedly care about you learning their “mathematically correct” way to play the game, because the better player you are, the more you’ll win from them?  Give us a break.  That doesn’t sound logical to us, and borders on insulting our collective intelligence.  We stress logic.  Doesn’t anyone find it strange that casinos are the number one teachers of the game?  They are the ones who have handed, free of charge of course, likely 10’s of millions of Basic Play Charts to players, all of which contained misleading information.  They need the players, that is the big difference.  Sure players want the casinos’ money, but the casinos absolutely need the players’ money.  Casinos need the players to lose to stay in business, and yet a player is supposed to feel confident with casino-distributed strategy ?!  Something smells funny…

Is it possible the big-hearted casinos care about your bank account as much as theirs?  Don’t kid yourself. 

Make no mistakes about it; this is the last stand!  The Playing 21 Program is the best Blackjack computer program ever made, and it exposed the fact many casinos have mislead their players.  It simply gives you all the answers, but one.  The same answer we now want to know.  Did the casinos know the real math to the game Blackjack?   That question can only have two answers.  They did.  They Didn’t.  And honestly, which is the good answer; fraud, or negligence…to the tune of possibly billions? 

Our Question can only have two answers as well.  Whom do you believe?

Website Payments