Online casino black jack is one of the most well-known card games in the world. Much of black jack’s popularity is due to the mix of chance with elements of skill, and the controvery that surrounds card counting. Black jack’s forerunner was vingt-et-un (“twenty-one”), which originated in French casinos around 1700 but did not offer the 3:2 bonus for a two-card 21.

When black jack was first introduced in the US it was not very popular, so gambling houses tried giving various bonus payouts to get the players to the tables. One such bonus was a 10-to-1 payout if the player’s hand consisted of the Ace of spades and a black Jack (either the Jack of spades or the Jack of clubs). This setup was called a “blackjack” and the name stuck to the game even though the bonus payout was soon done away with. As the game is currently played, a “black jack” may not necessarily contain a jack or any black cards at all.

Online casino roulette is a casino gambling game named after the French word meaning “small wheel”. The first form of roulette was devised in 17th century France, by the mathematician Blaise Pascal, who was supposedly inspired by his involvement with perpetual motion devices. The game has been played in its current form since as early as 1796 in Paris. In 1842, fellow Frenchmen Francois and Louis Blanc added the zero to the roulette wheel in order to achieve a house advantage.

In the early 1800s, roulette was brought into the United States where, to further increase house odds, a double zero, “00?, was introduced. In some forms of early American roulette the double-zero was replaced by an American Eagle. In the 1800s, roulette expanded all over both Europe and the U.S., becoming one of the most well-known and most popular online casino games. Some call roulette the “King of Casino Games”, likely because it was associated with the glamour of the casinos in Monte Carlo. Francois Blanc actually started the first casinos there.

A legend says that Mr. Blanc allegedly bargained with the devil to obtain the secrets of roulette. This is based on the fact that if you add up all the numbers on the roulette wheel (1 to 36), the resulting total is “666?, or the “Number of the Beast”.

Casino craps (previously known as crabs) is an online casino dice game, a simplified version of the Old English game hazard. Its beginnings are complex and may date to the Crusades, later being influenced by French gamblers.
Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville, descendant of wealthy Louisiana landowners, politician and gambler, brought the modern American version of the game from New Orleans. Crapaud, as it was originally called, reportedly owes its modern popularity from its being spread through the African-American community.

In online casino craps, players bet money against the casino on the outcome of one roll, or of a series of rolls of two dice. Craps can also be played in less formal settings and is said to be a favorite among soldiers. In such situations, side bets are more frequent, with one or several participants covering or “fading” wagers against the dice.

By Carrie LaShawn
Carrie has been reviewing online casinos since 2003. For more of Carrie’s online casino review articles visit Zimbio