Games like 3-Card Poker are simply descriptive of the game and require little imagination, but what about Spanish 21? The game’s creator Richard Lofink claims he named the blackjack variation that way because the game uses a Spanish deck of just 48 cards (10s are removed).

What about the most famous and popular casino games like blackjack, craps, and roulette? Those casino games carry a unique history that we’re about to explore in more detail.

Blackjack

The history of blackjack can be traced back many centuries. And how the game of blackjack got its name is right out of the history books.

Most gambling scholars now consider the direct ancestor of blackjack, a 17th century French card game known as Vingt-et-Un, or Twenty-One (21) in French.

Vingt-et-Un closely resembled blackjack. Its goal was to obtain a total of 21 using the same ranking system employed by contemporary blackjack.

In the French version, only the dealer was allowed to double the bet, although betting took place after each round of dealing as in today’s game. When Vingt-et-Un crossed the English Channel, the British gave it the nickname “blackjack” because the winning combination of a Jack and an Ace of spades earned a special payout

Craps

In the early 1800s, French settlers brought a dice game called Hazard, to Louisiana. In Hazard, the term for a losing pair of 1s was a French word “crabs”.

Although no one knows for sure where the term “craps” came from, I can certainly see other non-French settlers saying “crabs? Losing is the craps, not the crabs”. And somehow that name caught on.

Roulette

The popular gaming wheel also has roots all the way back into the 1700s. Just like the other popular casino games we know today, Roulette derived its name from the French.

The game was developed from an early game called Roly-Poly that allowed players to bet on black and white bars.

The modern wheels that we know today were first seen in 1796 Paris. The French, not wanting to over-complicate their version of the game, named the game “Roulette” or French for “little wheel”.

He went into the final table on Sunday night, tied for chip-leader with David Benyamine. On the 28th hand, he passed Benyamine in chip count.

Eventually, Benyamine ended up being the third to leave the table, and Williams had to go head-to-head against Eric Baldwin. At hand #106, Williams relinquished chip leader to Baldwin, but the two continued to battle each other for another 30 hands before Williams grabbed the Championship. Here’s a replay of how hand #136 went down:

Williams raised Baldwin 500,000. Baldwin decided to go all in for 4,765,000. Williams calls, revealing his 2 of clubs and 2 of diamonds. Baldwin flips his cards to show an ace of hearts and a 5 of hearts.

The flop comes out, giving the table an ace of diamonds, 7 of clubs, and 6 of spades. At this point, it looks like Baldwin may win it. That is, until the turn gives Williams a 2 of hearts, giving him three-of-a-kind against Baldwin’s pair.

 The river card turns out to be a 4 of clubs—no help to anybody. With his Champion-making three-of-a-kind solidified, Williams received $1,530,537 in prize money, a WPT bracelet, and a watch from Bellagio.

Final Table Results for the Season VIII WPT Championship

1st Place – David Williams

2nd Place – Eric Baldwin

3rd Place – Shawn Buchanan

4th Place – David Benyamine

5th Place – Billy Baxter

6th Place – John O’Shea

Williams said he had a feeling he was going to win, even inviting his mother and all his friends to be his cheering section as he played the final table.

His maiden race may have been on a dirt track, but all his graded stakes races have been run on synthetic tracks. His improvement and maturity has become startlingly apparent, thanks to wins in the Grade 2 San Vincente Stakes, the San Felipe Stakes, and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.

He even managed to overtake his top rival in the coming Derby, Lookin At Lucky, during the Santa Anita Derby.

Even with his impressive recent victories, Sidney’s Candy is far from sure thing. He drew the outside post, which will be a challenge to overcome.

Lookin At Lucky could certainly snatch a win out from under Sidney’s Candy. He’s been a top contender for the Kentucky Derby since his 2-year-old season.

Back then, he scored four wins in a row. Two of those were consecutive Grade 1 titles. Because of his defeat by Sidney’s Candy, however, Bodog only gives Lookin At Lucky 7/2 odds to win.

Both his, and his trainer’s, determination could provide enough rallying power to win at the upcoming Derby. Experience is on his side, at least; Lookin At Lucky has proven he can win races regardless of a dirt or synthetic track.

Lookin At Lucky was able to turn out a practice 6-furlong run at Churchill Downs in 1:12:16 on April 21. Sidney’s Candy, on the other hand, ran a 5-furlong work at the same track in :59:80 on April 17.

Lookin At Lucky has a excellent experience, drew the inside track, and has the late speed necessary for a victory. For those reasons, Lookin At Lucky is our pick to win the 2010 Kentucky Derby.

Don’t just take our word for it though, many great sites that provide sports betting tips, are saying the same about this year’s Kentucky Derby picks.

Tom Donovan, a retired computer programmer, claims to have won around $65,000 at blackjack since 1999.

“I’m not cheating at all. It’s just using my brain,” Donovan said. Even the casino admits that Donovan did nothing wrong.

Donovan sued the Grand Victoria Casino and Resort after it banned him from the blackjack table in 2006. The casino won the suit in a Marion County court, but the state appeals court reversed that decision and the casino asked the high court to weigh in.

For decades card counting has been a subject of controversy. There’s no law forbidding card counting, but it’s no secret that casinos are against it.

Many casinos use special security systems to detect potential card counters, and then ban the player based on that assumption. The Griffin Agency founded in 1967 is most famous for its system of spotting card counters. Founder Robert Griffin created the Griffin Books, a series of profiles on suspected card counters. Griffin has since put the information online in a large database that casinos can purchase access to.

Further Reading
Indiana Court Hears Casino Card-Counting Case
Donovan vs. Grand Victoria Casino – Court Documents

On Monday, Florida legislators approved a $1 billion dollar gaming contract with the Seminole tribe, finalizing a deal that has been negotiated back and forth for years.

The new gambling legislation allows blackjack and other card games at five casinos including the Hard Rock Casino and the Hollywood Casino in Florida. The deal received bipartisan approval of 74-39. All that’s left is for Governor Charlie Crist to sign the new legislation.

The tribe also gets a monopoly on Vegas-style slots everywhere but Broward and Miami-Dade counties, where voters already approved those games.

Legal blackjack is something the casinos have sought for years. This is the third Seminole gambling deal since 2007. But unlike past efforts, this one has support from the tribe, the governor and the Legislature.

The Seminole tribe has been trying to get a gambling deal with Florida since January 1991, spanning three governors.

“You took what was stuck in the ditch and put the state of Florida back in the driver’s seat,” said Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, who led the Legislature’s talks.

After Monday’s House vote – coming a week after 29-9 approval in the Senate – two steps remain: Crist, who has championed the Seminole gambling deal for years, must sign it into the law. And then the federal Department of Interior, which oversees state-tribal gambling compacts, must sign off.

The agreement also includes financial benefits for pari-mutuel facilities, particularly those in Broward and Dade. South Florida tracks will get a 15-percent tax break on slots profits, a concession they argue is vital to compete head-on with the tribe. And across the state, poker rooms will have expanded hours and higher-stakes games.

For the coming fiscal year, the deal pumps about $435 million into the state budget’s general revenue fund. Lawmakers can use the money for any purposes – a major change from past versions, which earmarked gambling revenues specifically for education. Blackjack is authorized at Seminole casinos for five years.

After that, the Legislature will have to decide whether to continue its arrangement with the tribe, discontinue blackjack in Florida altogether or expand card games to new venues.

The “no” votes came from an assortment of anti-gambling religious conservatives and legislators from Palm Beach County, who worried the Kennel Club in West Palm Beach would take a severe financial hit because of increased competition to the south.

Rep. Charles Van Zant, R-Keystone Heights, quoted Scripture and said the gambling deal “is evil and brings evil upon Floridians.”
“It damages our faith, our families and our freedoms,” he said.

Added Rep. Ronald Renuart, R-Ponte Vedra Beach, “Casino style gambling — if you want that, go to Las Vegas. What happens in Las Vegas should stay in Las Vegas.”

By contrast, supporters said it would boost gambling tourism and help the state budget. They noted the state already has a vast gambling industry, which includes eight Indian casinos, 27 pari-mutuel facilities, a massive state Lottery with 13,000 retailers and unregulated forums such as cruises to nowhere and grey machines.

“You can gamble all day, you can gamble all night, and we get nothing for it,” said Rep. Eduardo Gonzalez, R-Hialeah. “Here’s a chance to put some money back into our budget.”

Source: Legal Blackjack: House Approves Seminole Compact 74-39