23 facts about blackjack

1. Blackjack originated in French casinos around the 1700s, where it was called "vingt-et-un" (twenty-and-one).
2. Emperor Napoleon played and enjoyed it more than any other card game.
3. There are approximately 140 countries in the world with casinos that offer blackjack.
4. The proper name of the game is “21”; the name “blackjack” was only added as slang in the 1920s.
5. The object of the game is not to get 21; the real object is to beat the dealer.
6. 20 is the second-best hand in the game.
7. 16 is the worst hand in blackjack, followed by 15 as the second-worst hand.
8. 11 is the third-best hand in blackjack.
9. Mathematically, in 100 hands, the dealer will win 48 hands, the player will win 44 and there will be eight ties. Why does the dealer always win more hands? Because the dealer plays their hand LAST!
10. Casinos have the right to ask “card counters” and anyone else to leave the casino. It is based on the old English law that states “Management has the right to refuse service.”
11. Blackjack dealers only earn minimum wage, so tipping is very important for them in making a living.
12. There is a Blackjack Hall of Fame. It honors blackjack experts, authors and professional players who have made significant contributions to the game. The Hall of Fame is located at the Barona Casino in San Diego, California.
13. The next time you see a deck of blackjack cards think of it as a calendar:
a. There are 52 cards in a deck, 52 weeks in a year
b. There are four suits in a deck, four seasons in a year.
c. 12 picture cards, 12 months.
d. 13 cards in each suit, 13 lunar cycles in a year.
14. A blackjack player (in most casinos, but not all) has six options when deciding what action to take in any given hand; (1) hit, (2) stand, (3) split, (4) double down, (5) take insurance or (6) surrender.
15. Mathematically, the dealer’s average hand is a little better than 18.
16. Statistically, taking insurance is a sucker’s bet. You’ll lose more often than you win.
17. In Cuba, during the 1950s, the blackjack shoe was first introduced.
18. Blackjack is a one-player game. The player's opponent is the game, not the dealer.
19. Some casinos allow the dealer to hit a soft 17. You want the dealer to stay on ALL 17s.
20. In blackjack, the most powerful card, the one that affects the deck the most, is the 5. Removing the 5 results in + 0.64%, that is higher than any other card.
21. There are four times as many 10s in a blackjack deck as any other card.
22. House rules are important: They dictate what your blackjack advantage or disadvantage is while playing.
23. It takes at least seven shuffles to completely randomize a new deck of cards.

This article is provided by the Frank Scoblete Network. Melissa A. Kaplan is the network's managing editor. If you would like to use this article on your website, please contact Casino City Press, the exclusive web syndication outlet for the Frank Scoblete Network. To contact Frank, please e-mail him at fscobe@optonline.net.