Blackjack – also referred to as ‘Chemin de Fer’ and ‘pontoon’ – is a card game that nowadays is commonly seen in a betting house with people trying their fortune on acquiring the elusive ‘twenty one’. It is widely believed that the game came into existence in France during the 17th century. However, as with most other casino games the precise evolution of the game remains a mystery.
Pontoon was brought to the US after the French Revolution, but the game did not become favored in the betting houses until the house provided bonus payouts. This was the only way that appeared to get players gambling on pontoon. One variation on the bonus pay out was for a gambler to make ‘twenty one’ with the black jack card (worth 10 points) and an ace (given a value of 11 points). With the expanding appeal of the game the pay outs were phased out but the name ‘pontoon’ lasted.
Blackjack isn’t just about getting an immediate ‘twenty-one’, but the primary challenge is to beat the dealer without going ‘bust’. The casino clearly has a house edge over the gambling players in the long run, but with blackjack the player retains a bit of choice.
Since 1931 when America initial legalized wagering, blackjack has grown into a classic betting house card game. Furthermore, it’s the blending of both ability and math utilized in chemin de fer that has caused the game to be massively popular. Black jack provides an appealing proposition to any scientist, math guy or betting player wanting to research the tactic of the game.