Blackjack

Interesting Facts about Blackjack

Larry Hunter

Interesting Facts about Blackjack

Blackjack might sound complicated but it is very easy to play and understand. (Check out All Info about Blackjack). Here are some interesting facts that you may not know about Blackjack.
Before diving to interesting facts let’s check out about Andar Bahar.

  1. Longest Gameplay

The longest game of Blackjack ever played was a total time of 51 hours and 33 minutes. That is over 2 days long. Stephen De Raffaele dealt cards for over two days between 24th–27th August,2001 at the Oracle Casino, Qawra, Malta. It has been officially recorded in the Guinness World Records as the Longest Marathon Blackjack Dealing.

  1. 16 is said to be the worst number

The total value of 16 is said to be the worst hand in Blackjack. It is because, if the players ‘hit’, the cards might exceed 21 and go ‘bust’ whereas if they ‘stand’ it might not be able to beat.

  1. $40 Million Dollars

In 1995 at the MGM Grand, Kerry Packer got the most important blackjack win ever. He wagered 250,000 dollars on every round, playing eight hands continuously on that same table. In 40 minutes of gambling, Packer won a huge $40 million. This turned into the most important win that ever happened at the MGM Grand casino at the time. It is said to be the biggest winnings in Blackjack in history.

  1. 2226 ft long Blackjack table

Once again with the Guinness World Records, this one goes to the biggest Blackjack table which was 2226 feet in surface area. The table was created by Viejas Casino in Southern California.

To make things even, the table was included with oversized chips and cards as well as an extra staff was in charge of turning the giant cards.

  1. Chances of Blackjack

Can you believe it? The odds of getting a natural blackjack is 4.83% only. You can check the calculations:

i)Let’s take first the combinations. There are 52 cards in one deck of cards. There are 4 Aces and 16 face-cards and 10s. The blackjack (or natural) can occur only in the first 2 cards. We calculate first all combinations of 52 elements taken 2 at a time: C(52, 2) = (52 * 51) / 2 = 1326.

We combine now each of the 4 Aces with each of the 16 ten-valued cards: 4 * 16 = 64.

The probability to get a blackjack (natural): 64 / 1326 = .0483 = 4.83%.

  1. ii) Let’s do now the calculations for arrangements. (The combinations are also considered boxed arrangements; i.e. the order of the elements does not count).

We calculate total arrangements for 52 cards taken 2 at a time: A(52, 2) = 52 * 51 = 2652.

In arrangements, the order of the cards is essential. Thus, King + Ace is distinct from Ace + King. Thus, total arrangements of 4 Aces and 16 ten-valued cards: 4 * 16 * 2 = 128.

The odds to get a blackjack (natural) as arrangement: 128 / 2652 = .0483 = 4.83%.

4.83% is equivalent to about 1 in 21 blackjack hands. (No wonder the game is also called Twenty-one! Wow, an interesting fact inside an interesting fact)

Even if multiple decks are used, the chances are the same.

  1. Blackjack Old?

The closest speculation states that Blackjack originated from France in about 1700. They were known as “Vingt-et-Un”.

  1. Biggest Blackjack Winnings as a Team

While Kerry Packer is known for the biggest win in Blackjack, a Blackjack group also won $50 million to $100 Million in between 1980 to 1990. They consist of students from MIT. The whole story is portrayed in an award winning blockbuster movie known as 21.

  1. Chances of Dealer’s Bust
Dealer’s Show Card Chances of Dealer;s Bust Player’s Advantage
2 35.30% 9.80%
3 37.56% 13.40%
4 40.28% 18%
5 42.89% 23.20%
6 42.28% 23.90%
7 25.99% 14.30%
8 23.86% 5.40%
9 23.24% -4.30%
10, J, Q, K 21.42% -16.90%
A 11.65% -16%

 

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