Black Jack – also known as ‘21′ and ‘pontoon’ – is a card game that is often seen in a casino with players attempting their fortune on achieving the elusive ‘twenty one’. It’s widely believed that the game came into existence in France during the 1600’s. However, as with many other betting games the exact evolution of the game is a mystery.
Blackjack was introduced to the U.S. following the French Revolution, but the game did not become popular in the casinos until the house offered bonus payouts. This was the only method that appeared to get players betting on black jack. One variant on the reward payment was for a player to acquire ‘twenty-one’ with the black jack card (given a value of 10 points) and an ace (given a value of eleven points). With the expanding popularity of the game the payouts were canceled but the name of the game ‘twenty-one’ stayed.
Pontoon isn’t simply about achieving an outright ‘twenty-one’, but the primary adventure is to beat the dealer without going ‘bust’. The betting house clearly has an advantage over the black jack players over the long term, but with black jack the player retains a bit of choice.
Since nineteen thirty one when the U.S. first approved gambling, blackjack has developed into a quintessential betting house game. Furthermore, it is the joining of both skill and math employed in chemin de fer that has made the game hugely popular. Twenty-one provides an appealing proposition to any scientist, math guy or betting player wanting to examine the scheme of the game.