Blackjack evolved from a 17th century Spanish game but
changes and modifications have turned it into the exciting real money
game that Internet players are familiar with today when they play online blackjack. The Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes wrote about the game
called ventiuna -- Twenty-One -- which is almost identical to the
blackjack that is played today. Players built hands of cards in which
the total value of the cards could not exceed 21, though in de
Cervantes' time, the "baraja" -- deck -- had all of the eights, nines
and tens removed. Gambling houses and early casinos adopted the game,
first in Europe and then in America, with options for variations, such
as bonuses being paid to gamers who drew a "blackjack" -- ace of spades
and black jack --on their first draw. This bonus was eventually widened
to include any ace with any face card.
