Honoring the select few individuals who have set themselves apart from the masses to become the exceptional figures in the world of Blackjack began in the winter of 2002, when a varied group of professional gamblers from around the globe nominated a group of 21 distinct persons. Each of these 21 was, at one point, at the top of the game as a professional player, expert, or author in the game of blackjack. Thus, the Blackjack Hall of Fame had begun, as both an honorarium and educational tool for the general public to learn about the creativity, drive, courage and intelligence of its players, not to mention their achievements at the tables.

Voting for the initial 7 inductees to the Blackjack Hall of Fame was open to the public for one month over the internet. However, the primary voting was conducted by professional blackjack players at the 2003 Blackjack Ball, an event for only the most prestigious players, for these are the individuals who know the most about their peers and their total accomplishments, both at and away from the tables. Plus, professional blackjack players are the ones who depend greatly on the publications of authors, so they are more than familiar with which theories are truly original as well as which have had the greatest impact on winning at the tables.

Oddly enough, the general publics internet voting and the professional blackjack players votes were amazingly similar.

Since the time of inception, the Blackjack Hall of Fame continues with the same basic principals, as all current members are fully responsible for the nominating process as well as the voting. There are no limitations as to the number of possible nominees annually, but a biography of each player, coupled with a reason for nomination, must be presented to each Hall of Fame inductee prior to voting. All members then vote on their top choices, with each members vote counting equally. In order to maintain the integrity of the voting process, each members votes are willingly shown to all other members.

The Barona Casino in Lakeside, California is the physical home and sponsor of the Blackjack Hall of Fame. Here, each inductee is represented with a plaque, complete with a photo and a few kind words about their contributions to the game and their individual accomplishments. In addition, a museum of gadgets and gizmos used for cheating in blackjack, such as card-swapping devices, marked cards, computer shoes and other interesting contraptions, are on display for the public to view.

On an interesting side note regarding the Barona Casino, each of the Blackjack Hall of Fames inductees have been granted a full-comp room, food and beverages for life at the casino, as long as they promise not to play at Baronas tables.