Being one of the most iconic casino games in the world, blackjack is a quick and strategic table game in which players try to beat the dealer by getting a card hand as close to 21 as possible without going over. This deceptively simple title has become known for its felt tables and fast-paced play; however, beneath all of this lies a trove of lesser-known truths, unbelievable stories and other oddities. There are so many, in fact, that we have compiled all of the most unique facts about the game of blackjack, which you likely didn’t know already.
Blackjack’s Original Name
To start things off, blackjack as we know it today didn’t always have the name we know it by, with the game evolving from a 17th-century card game in France called ‘vingt-et-un’. This translates directly to ‘twenty-one’, with it being a staple in French casinos before eventually making its way across to North America. It was here that an early American version began to introduce special bonuses if a players hand included an ace of spades or blackjack. It was due to the matter in which the name ‘blackjack’ was born, with this sticking even though the bonus was eventually dropped.
Perfect Way To Play Blackjack
Unlike other casino titles where strategy can influence the odds, live blackjack actually is the only game in which there is a statistical best move for any possible hand. Mathematicians have developed something which is referred to as the ‘basic strategy’, with this providing players with the best move based on the cards dealt.
For example, if you are holding a 16 against a dealer’s hand that contains a 10, there is a mathematically correct action to take, which is to hit. If players use this consistently, it can help them make decisions that provide the greatest possibility of success in play. However, many novice players are not familiar with this strategy.
Elephant Blackjack
From one fact you may have been aware of to another which you likely weren’t, in 2011, a circus held a blackjack event in Florida in which elephants played blackjack using giant cards. Obviously, the giant mammals were not actually playing the casino game; however, the image of a 5,000kg animal flipping over the ace of spades is one thing that made this charity event such an iconic moment in casino trivia.
Key To AI Research
Although AI in today’s age is now more prevalent than ever, this certainly wasn’t the case back in the 1960s and 1970s. In order to test early simulation algorithms, blackjack was one of the first testbeds for these new and innovative pieces of technology. Computer scientists and other statisticians selected this table game due to the simple rules and the plethora of possible outcomes that could occur after the cards are dealt. In addition to this, blackjack even helped to lay the groundwork for something referred to as the Monte Carlo method, something which is used in fields such as physics, weather forecasting and even analysis of the stock market.
The First Wearable Computers
Long before the age of smartwatches, the first-ever concealed computers worn by people were used to help beat blackjack. In the 80s and 90s, a group of inventive players created devices hidden in shoes or strapped to their legs that could calculate the odds and probability of winning a dealt hand in real time.
The most famous of these devices was called ‘George’, which was crafted and worn by Keith Taft, who hid it inside his belt. This had wires that ran to switches by his toes, allowing him to input the cards with foot movements. Following this, a concealed earpiece would relay the advice, marking a pioneering moment in the world of wearable computing, despite its illegal nature.
Blackjack Switch Variant
One variant of blackjack, which is less well-known but intriguing in terms of its mathematics, is referred to as Blackjack Switch. In this, each player at the table is dealt two different hands, with them being able to switch the top two cards between them should they wish to do so. For example, if a player gets dealt a 10 and a 6 in one hand and a 5 and an ace in the other, you could swap to make a stronger 11 and blackjack. However, one way the house counters this clear player advantage is by letting a dealer push on a hand total of 22 instead of busting, which adds balance to the variant in question.
The Blackjack Bird
Ending things with arguably one of the strangest gimmicks which the industry has seen, a casino based in Atlantic City trained a parrot to play blackjack back in 2004. The bird, who was appropriately named Lucky, was able to tap cards with its beak and even let out a squawk should they achieve 21!
