Blackjack
Also known as twenty-one. The rules are simple, the game is exciting and there is a chance for high strategy. For an experienced gambler who plays a mathematically perfect game and knows how to count cards, the odds are sometimes in his favor. But even for a casual participant playing a reasonably good game, the odds in the casino are lower, making blackjack one of the most attractive casino games for the player. While blackjack's popularity dates back to World War I, its roots date back to the 1760s in France, where it was called Vingt-et-Un (French for 21).
Currently, blackjack is the only card game available in every American casino. As a popular home game, it is played according to slightly different rules. In the casino version, the casino is the dealer ("standing bank"). In a casino game, the dealer stands still and the players sit down. The dealer oversees all aspects of the game, from shuffling and dealing the cards to handling all bets. In the home game, all players have the opportunity to become a dealer ("changing bank").
