Blackjack – also referred to as ‘21′ and ‘pontoon’ – is a card game that nowadays is generally seen in a casino with people attempting their fortune on achieving the elusive ‘twenty one’. It’s commonly presumed that the game originated in France through the 17th century. However, as with most other gambling games the exact evolution of the game is still a mystery.
Pontoon was brought to the States following the French Revolution, but the game did not become popular in the casinos until the casino offered bonus payouts. This was the only way that appeared to get gamblers gambling on twenty-one. One variation on the bonus payment was for a gambler to acquire ‘twenty one’ with the black jack card (given a value of ten points) and an ace (given a value of 11 points). With the expanding popularity of the game the payouts were phased out but the name ‘black jack’ remained.
Black jack isn’t simply about getting an outright ‘twenty one’, but the primary challenge is to beat the dealer without going ‘bust’. The betting house clearly has a house edge over the gambling players over the long run, but with twenty-one the gambler holds on to an element of choice.
Since 1931 when the U.S. first legitimized gambling, blackjack has grown into a classic casino card game. Furthermore, it is the combination of both skill and math utilized in chemin de fer that has made the game massively loved. Chemin de fer provides an alluring proposition to any scientist, mathematician or betting player looking to analyze the tactic of the game.