There are many theories as to why the game of blackjack is called blackjack. One theory suggests that the game was named after the color of the deck of cards, blackjack being a fairly dark color. Another theory suggests that the game was named after the card rank, 21 being a high card rank. However, the most popular and likely explanation for the name of the game is that it is derived from the Spanish word for 21, “blackjack”.
The Spanish word for 21 is “pato,” which is pronounced “bahk-kah.” The English word “blackjack” likely became adapted to this pronunciation and thus became the name of the game.
