Also known as Twenty-One. The rules are simple, the game is exciting and there are opportunities for sophisticated strategies. In fact, for an experienced player who plays a mathematically perfect game and can count cards, the odds of winning are sometimes in his favor.

But even for the casual player who plays a reasonably good game, the casino odds are slimmer, making blackjack one of the most attractive casino games for the player. While blackjack's popularity dates back to World War I, its roots go back to the 1760s in France, where it is called Vingt-et-Un (French for 21). Today, Blackjack is the only card game found in every American casino. A popular home game, it is played with slightly different rules. In the casino version, the house is the dealer (a “permanent bank”). In casino games, the dealer remains standing and the players sit. The dealer is responsible for handling all aspects of the game, from shuffling and dealing the cards to settling all bets. In the home game, all players have the opportunity to be the dealer (a “changing bank”).