Each card game has its own unique history that dates back hundreds and hundreds of years back. Unfortunately not all researchers are able to uncover the initial trace of every game, and sadly this is also the case with black jack.
The only certain thing, to date, is that everyone agrees that the first traces of the game were in 1700, in France, where a game called Vingt-en-Un (which means twenty-one) was played in French casinos. . Probably that was not the only ancestor of blackjack, but certainly its origins, known to us, start from there.
Twenty-one was very similar to Black Jack, with very few differences: only the dealer could double the stakes, and the ultimate goal was to reach 21. The English name BlackJack comes from a particular hand of 21: when a player received at the first hand the ace of spades and the jack of spades then also got an extra payment. So from this type of ideal hand comes the term Black Jack.
At that time they played at seven and a half and when you passed seven and a half it was said that you were busted and the term busted (bust in English) was also taken up for 21.
Developments in North America
During the French Revolution the game migrated to North America and became very popular because there was no law prohibiting gambling. At the time, professional players understood that this game had high potential and by studying it thoroughly they developed the basic strategy to improve their odds of winning. Then the popularity stopped, as the game was blocked in the 19th century by the US government due to the laws against gambling: the government thought that such games facilitated criminal activities. However, secret gambling continued until 1931, when Nevada decided to legalize gambling and Las Vegas was born. So the game took off and with each passing year there was more and more interest. So much interest that even science decided to study it.
In 1953, Roger Baldwin and his associates first attempted to study blackjack. They used statistical theory and calculated methods to reduce the house edge. In 1956, they published their findings in the journal of the American statistical association under the title “Optimal strategy in blackjack”. It was about 10 pages. Thus was born the first guide on the best strategy to use at black jack.