Blackjack – also referred to as ‘twenty-one’ and ‘pontoon’ – is a game that nowadays is commonly found in a casino with people trying their fortune on achieving the elusive ‘21′. It’s widely believed that the game came into existence in France during the 17th century. However, as with most other casino games the exact development of the game remains a mystery.
Blackjack was brought to the States after the French Revolution, but the game didn’t become favored in the gambling dens until the casino offered payouts as a bonus. This was the only method that seemed to get players betting on blackjack. One variation on the reward payment was for a player to make ‘twenty one’ with the blackjack card (valued at ten points) and an ace (valued at eleven points). With the increasing appeal of the game the payouts were canceled but the name of the game ‘black jack’ remained.
Blackjack isn’t just about getting a straight ‘twenty one’, but the main adventure is to beat the dealer without going ‘bust’. The betting house obviously has a house edge over the pontoon players in the long run, but with pontoon the player holds on to an element of choice.
Since nineteen thirty one when America first legitimized wagering, chemin de fer has become a quintessential gambling den card game. Furthermore, it is the fusion of both skill and mathematics utilized in black jack that has caused the game to be massively loved. Pontoon affords an attractive adventure to any scientist, mathematician or wagering player looking to examine the scheme of the game.