Absolute Poker Adds Blackjack

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Absolute Poker, the fourth largest online poker website in the world, today proudly announced that it is expanding its line-up of online games to include Blackjack. To celebrate this addition to the site, Absolute Poker will be extending its industry-leading 200 per cent first-time bonus deposit (up to $200) to new Blackjack players on their first purchase. Players can also go up against the Blackjack dealer for their chance to win up to $5,000 with Absolute Poker's '7 Madness' option.

"Blackjack is often a popular choice for players due to the mix of skill and chance involved," explained Mike Edwards, marketing manager at Absolute Poker. "We're really excited to offer this new game option to our players and to expand beyond our passion for poker. Our site continues to support core poker enthusiasts and with this addition provides a more fun and competitive environment for everyone."

Blackjack, also known as 'twenty-one' or 'pontoon' in some other countries, is one of the most popular casino card games in the world. The game got its start in French casinos around 1700 and was originally called 'vingt- et-un' ("twenty-one"). When it was first introduced in the United States in the early 1800s, gambling houses tried to boost its popularity by offering various bonus payouts to get 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 clubs or the Jack of spades). This hand was called a "blackjack" and the name stuck even though the bonus payout was soon abolished.

The object of Blackjack consists of a player trying to get nearer to a point total of 21 than the dealer, without exceeding 21. Should a player or the dealer exceed a point total of 21, this is known as a "bust". If you bust, you lose your wager. Should the dealer bust, the dealer pays the player for point totals less or equal to 21. If there is a tie (known as a "push"), a player keeps the original wager.