One of the most popular casino games of today, the history of blackjack is an interesting one. There are several versions about the actual origin of the game and according to its history, blackjack was inspired by several European games like the -vingt-un- and -trente-et quarente- and -chemin de fer- of France along with other Spanish and Italian games like -one and thirty-, -baccara- and -seven and half-. After its popularity in the European countries, the game was finally introduced in US in 19th century.

Though the game was commonly played by gamblers, it was only after the legalization of gambling in the state of Nevada in 1934 that it truly rose to popularity. In order to attract players to blackjack, the casinos in its initial days offered bonuses. For instance, if the player had a jack of spades or jack of clubs, a bonus of 10:1 was paid. Initially the game involved one to two decks and soon surpassed the other casino games of that time.

In 1956, Roger Baldwin wrote a paper on how to reduce house advantage when playing blackjack, however, since the paper heavily relied on statistics, ordinary people and layman found it extremely difficult and confusing. Later, it was Edward O. Thorpe who first developed the technique of counting cards in 1962. With the help of a computer he refined the strategies given by Roger Baldwin which formed the base for his book -Beat the Dealer- in which he not only explained the different card counting methods but also different techniques for reducing house advantage.

After this there was a big increase of blackjack players in the casinos. Everyone wanted to try out the different technique, however, many found the system a little complicated and difficult to implement which in turn proved profitable for the casinos.

Over the period of time, several versions of the game have been developed and today it is one of the most favored casino games. The game is not only available in the land based casinos but with the coming of the online casinos it has become even more accessible to the players. Almost all the online casinos now offer blackjack games, along with the traditional versions of the games, some of the online casinos have also come up with new versions and interesting features which makes it more interesting. The conveniences offered by the online casinos along with the other added advantages have gone a long way in boosting its popularity.

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Perhaps it is the lighting, the music, the sounds of the slot machines, and the energy of excitement that fills every casino. Regardless if you prefer online or in person, you are sure to find the excitement of casinos.

The History of Casinos

The exact date of when casinos came into existence is not known, but the word “casino” comes from an Italian word “Casa” meaning home or house, which was originally meant at a small villa, but later changed the meaning to building that was made for pleasure or gaming. In China, they have an official account of practicing gambling in 2300 B.C., although there were no doubt earlier casinos, there is simply no record of them.

In Europe, the first casinos were in Venice, Italy in 1638 but were called Ridottos and it was a controlled gambling that happened during their carnival seasons, but this closed 1770 by the government.

In America, the earliest known casinos were called saloons and it is where people came to drink, socialize, gamble and were quite popular for travelers and locals alike. However, in the 20th century, gambling was completely outlawed in all states, but then in 1931 gambling became legalized in Nevada, then in the 1970’s, New Jersey legalized gambling in Atlantic City. Today, the largest casino concentration is Las Vegas, followed by Atlantic City, and in third is the Chicago region.

Revenues in the American Casino Markets

The amount of money that the top three casino markets earn in revenues is staggering, as of 2009, the amounts for the Las Vegas Strip were $5.5 billion, Atlantic City, $3.9 billion, and Chicago $2 billion. The casino industry helps bring in a large amount of money for the areas in which the casinos are located. In most areas, the age in which a person must be in order to gamble is 18 but in some states it is 21 years old.

Final Thoughts

Regardless if you decide to gamble in person at one of the many casinos or gamble online, always exercise caution in how much you play because gambling can become very addictive, which many people have had a difficult breaking. However, when done in moderation, it is one of the world’s best entertainment avenues.

The Professional Card Counter’s BlackJack Reference Manual (2011 Edition)

Card counting is a card game strategy in which a player is given a statistical advantage in a card game. The player using these techniques is said to be called an “advantaged player”. Card counting usually refers to the game of Blackjack. Blackjack is one of, if not the only, game in the Casino not subject to the “Law of Independent Trials”. This means, at different times during the game, the balance of advantage can actually shift from the Casino toward the player. Card counters have been trained to detect this condition, and now you can train yourself as well.ll.

Card counting is a unique topic in that it is something that is easy to understand, yet difficult to implement properly. The actual process is very easy. If we use the “Hi-Lo” system as an example, the card counter simply needs to be able to add and subtract by one, and then divide by whole numbers. While the process of addition and subtraction may seem easy, performing this in a Casino environment and implementing the techniques properly can take months or years of practice.

“The Professional Card Counters Blackjack Reference Manual (2011 Edition)” is quite simply the most useful card counting companion guide on the Internet. Included are charts on Basic Strategy, Card Counting Systems, Bet Spreading, the Illustrious 18 and Fab 4 Surrender indices, and Dealer Upcard Busting Percentages. The least expensive camouflage techniques, table etiquette, and game terminology are also covered. It’s all here, compressed into less than 25 pages. You won’t find a better card counting reference manual with this much information in a tighter space.

The Professional Card Counter’s BlackJack Reference Manual (2011 Edition)

I have been playing Blackjack for several years. After reading several books from established professional players, I realized that there was not a single, compact, and concise study guide available. The Professional Card Counters Blackjack Reference Manual changes that.