On Blackjack and Don Quixote: The Spanish author who conceived of Don Quixote de la Mancha (Miguel de Cervantes) way back in 1605 also wrote a variety of short stories. One such short story (Riconete y Cortadillo) involved a card game called veinteuno (Spanish 21), which is a blackjack variant. Unlike blackjack, however, Spanish 21 is played with a reduced set of cards (all 10s are removed). This variation actually increases the odds of staying below 21, and thus, it also slightly improves your chances of winning. For many poor (landless) Spanish peasants, playing veinteuno became a way of life. And since opportunities for social class mobility were quite limited some 400 years ago, sharpening one's card game skills was something that many young adult (males) did on a frequent basis. So when Don Quixote was not out attacking windmills on horseback, he just may have been sitting around playing veinteuno with a couple of pals.
