The origins of playing cards are thought to come from China around 900 A.D. It was around the 1600's that the 52 card pack was invented in France and at the time was referred to as the French Pack.

Blackjack also originates in France and was found in casinos, circa 1700. It was called "vingt-et-un," which means 20 and 1. The Blackjack name comes from the fact that if the player got both a Jack and an Ace of spades, spades being black, the odds paid were enhanced. Common odds at the time were 10 to 1. These odds have long since disappeared.

The basic rules of the game today have not changed all that much over the years, however, the casinos have introduced various ways to ensure that they keep the edge over the player, although it is still one of the most favourable casino games to play.

In the early 1960's, mathematicians of the game studied the odds and worked out the most effective way for players to play. These masters of the game published various blackjack strategies in papers and books that showed how to level or even beat the odds.

Some of these books were immensely popular and forced the casinos to introduce strategy beating measures including, multiple decks, shuffling machines, and early shuffling to counteract the card counters advantage.

Nowadays Blackjack is still the most popular casino game played. It is everyones favourite and while players have varying levels of skill there are always new methods and strategies for everyone to try.

With the introduction of online casinos and the ability of people to play online blackjack in their own homes, the popularity of blackjack is ever increasing. It has been around for more than 300 years and looks to be popular for another 300 at least.