The rules of Blackjack were then different from those of modern or contemporary Blackjack. It gradually spread to North America thanks to French colonists and soon after it was played throughout the continent.
This theory holds some weight as Romans loved gambling, but that by no means confirms the theory.Īmong the various versions of the game, 'Vingt-et-Un’ or ‘21’ continued to grow in popularity and reach. It is believed that Romans used to play this game with wooden blocks of different numerical values. The basic rule of the Spanish version was to reach 31 with a minimum of three cards.Ī theory that’s also doing the rounds is that Blackjack was an invention by the Romans. Most believe it was probably derived from the French card games, Chemin de Fer, and French Ferme, which were in vogue at that time.Īnother of its version was prevalent in Spain, which was called 'One and Thirty'.
Till date there has been no clear consensus, but most agree it probably originated in French casinos around 1700, where it was called Vingt-et-Un which, translated, means twenty-one.
Ver the years the origin of Blackjack, like many other games, has eluded researchers for a long time and which continues to be hotly debated to this day.
