Is Blackjack on Steam?

No. Blackjack is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.

What platforms is Blackjack on?

Blackjack is available on Atari 2600.

When did Blackjack release?

Blackjack was first released on September 1, 1977.

Blackjack

Sep 1, 1977Card & Board GameAtari 2600

Blackjack — frequently asked questions

Is Blackjack on Steam?: No. Blackjack is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
What platforms is Blackjack on?: Blackjack is available on Atari 2600.
When did Blackjack release?: Blackjack was first released on September 1, 1977.

About Blackjack

Atari's Blackjack employs a variant of blackjack rules that is so extremely unfavorable to the player, that it would almost certainly never be seen in a real casino because no one would play with them. Splitting pairs is not allowed, and even more substantially, draws are won by the dealer (your bet is not returned to you if you and the dealer get the same card total and neither busts). This represents over a 10% house advantage. The player uses the paddle controller to enter a bet of up to 25 chips from an initial pot of 200. An up card is then presented, and the player decides whether to "hit" (accept another card) or stand. The player breaks the bank by obtaining a score of 1,000 chips, or is "busted" upon losing everything. Due to a glitch in the program, while a player is selecting among the options of what to do with the current hand by pressing left or right with the paddle controller, the amount of the player's next bet is modified even though it is defined by a variable that will not be visible until the end of the hand, requiring the player to carefully re-enter it at the start of every hand without pressing the button carelessly or risk wagering an unintended amount.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Atari 2600
Developer: Atari
Publisher: Atari
Game modes: Single player, Multiplayer

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

34/100

from 7 ratings

Collector value & authenticity

Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06

Loose

Complete

$19

Sealed

$228

Label variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
Tele-Games Picture Label	$11	$31	—
Tele-Games	$8	$23	$55
Text # Side Label	$18	$49	—
Text Label	$8	$23	$35

Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	Rarity
North America Atari	Text - Green end label	CX2651	Common+
North America Atari	Text # - "51 blackjack"	CX2651	Scarce
North America Sears	Text	99805	Common+
North America Sears	Picture	99805	Scarce+

Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database

Region: NA
Released: 1977
Controller: Atari Paddles
Players: 1 - 3
Authenticity: Low

Not in Atari 50 — other compilations and plug-and-plays are not tracked hereLow counterfeit risk

Atari 2600 prices, all games & how to spot a fake

One of the 2600's original 1977 launch games, simple and cheap, with several labels to sort out.

Bob Whitehead designed Blackjack for the Atari VCS, and it came out in September 1977 among the first games for the system. Up to three players start with 200 chips each and bet from 1 to 25 a hand, using the paddle controllers. Whitehead initially planned to put other card games on the cartridge too.

Video magazine received it more warmly than any other launch title. Atari stopped promoting it after Whitehead's Casino arrived in 1979, though it kept selling in small numbers as late as 1989. Retrospective reviews have been dismissive of its sound and graphics.

How it was made

Designed by Bob Whitehead after his work on Star Ship. He chose the paddle controllers for it and at first planned to include other card games on the cartridge.

Cartridge & preservation record

Program size 2 KB, measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

Worth knowing

1981 dealer price. Atari's confidential retailer price list for January 1 to June 1, 1981 lists Black Jack (CX2651) in its basic tier: dealers paid $14.00 against a suggested retail price of $22.95.

Before you buy

Low risk; nothing here is a counterfeit target. Check which label you are looking at. The common Atari copy is the cheapest. Sears sold it in its Tele-Games line, in both a plain Tele-Games and a picture-label version. Among the Atari text-label copies, the variant listed as 'Text # Side Label' costs the most loose, so ask for a photo of the end label to confirm it. You need paddle controllers to play.