Blackjack – also known as ‘21′ and ‘pontoon’ – is a card game that nowadays is normally found in a casino with players trying their fortune on acquiring the elusive ‘twenty-one’. It is commonly presumed 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 is a mystery.
Blackjack was introduced to the US following the French Revolution, but the game did not become favored in the gambling dens until the house offered bonus payouts. This was the only way that appeared to get people wagering on blackjack. One variation on the reward payout was for a gambler to acquire ‘twenty one’ with the black jack card (worth 10 points) and an ace (given a value of eleven points). With the expanding popularity of the game the pay outs were phased out but the name of the game ‘pontoon’ remained.
Blackjack is not simply about acquiring an outright ‘twenty-one’, but the primary adventure is to beat the dealer without busting. The casino certainly has an edge over the gambling players in the long term, but with chemin de fer the player holds on to a bit of choice.
Since 1931 when America initial legitimized wagering, pontoon has become a classic casino card game. Furthermore, it’s the blending of both skill and mathematics utilized in black jack that has made the game massively liked. Black jack provides an alluring proposition to any academic, mathematician or wagering player looking to research the strategy of the game.