The name “blackjack” comes from the Spanish word “blackjack,” meaning a kind of card game in which the player bets on the total number of cards dealt, rather than on specific cards. The name was first used in America in the early 1800s.
There are several theories about why blackjack became known as blackjack. One theory is that the game was originally called “devil’s poker” because players who got too good at it would sometimes cheat by dealing themselves extra cards, which would turn their hands into a higher-valued hand.
Another theory is that the game was called blackjack because players could never lose if they played with a full deck of cards, since any number of blackjacks (a five-card hand with an ace, two, three, four, and five) could be made up.
However, the most popular explanation is that blackjack was simply called blackjack because it was usually played with black chips (or counters). This theory is based on the fact that early versions of the game were played at casinos with tables covered in black cloth.
