They are proficient at cheating at 'veintiuna' (Spanish for twenty-one), and stated that the object of the game is to reach 21 points without busting, and that the Ace values 1 or 11. The main characters of his tale 'Rinconete y Cortadillo', from 'Novelas Ejemplares', are a couple of cheaters working in Seville. The first written reference is to be found in a book of Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, and a gambler himself. 3 Rule variations and the 'house advantage'īlackjack's precursor was 'twenty-one', a game of unknown origin.
