Blackjack or Poker?
Blackjack has sometimes been compared with poker; both games are played using cards, and both are the games of choice by many professional gamblers. Some time ago, blackjack was more popular than poker and believe it or not, some casinos even closed down their poker rooms because of the lack of interest among the gambling community.
Nowadays, poker has surpassed blackjack in terms of popularity, mass appeal, and lucrative prizes. High-stakes, and televised poker tournaments (such as the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour), have helped generate a lot of hype and publicity for the game. Blackjack, however, has not lost its appeal among its die-hard fans. Blackjack tournaments, like the Ultimate Blackjack Tour, are fast approaching the popularity of their poker counterparts, with these tournaments attracting not only the top blackjack players, but also the world's best poker pros.
Blackjack had its beginnings in the early 20th century, although similar card games have been played in other parts of the world, such as France. Back then, blackjack was called "vingt-un" - the French word for "twenty-one." The game soon became officially known as "blackjack" after casinos began introducing prizes for starting hands with an ace of spades and a spade/club face/ten card.
Blackjack soared in popularity after gambling became legal in Nevada in 1931. Before that, blackjack was played illegally in makeshift casinos and card rooms. With the arrival of legalized casinos, blackjack players came in droves, and the game became one of the most popular casino games, second only to craps.
Another factor that contributed to blackjack's popularity was the Second World War. Blackjack became the favorite pastime of American soldiers during the war, and when they returned home they brought along their preference for the game. By the 1950s, blackjack had become one of the most popular games in the casinos.
The introduction of powerful blackjack strategies and tactics designed to help the player beat the dealer, as epitomized by the best-selling book "Beat the Dealer" by Edward Thorp, forced the casinos to change certain rules and to introduce multiple deck games. However, a few players still found a way to "beat the system" and win in blackjack despite the odds stacked against them.
Blackjack can be a profitable gambling activity if you take the effort to master basic and advanced strategies. There are numerous blackjack strategies readily available in the market, such as Hi-Opt II and the Revere System. Find one that you are comfortable using, and apply it to your blackjack game. If you can count cards, so much the better.
It doesn't really matter which card game, blackjack or poker, that you prefer playing. Both games rely heavily on skill with money-managing, and have an element of luck involved, so if you are good in blackjack then you should be pretty good in poker, and vice versa.
|
