Blackjack – also referred to as ‘twenty-one’ 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’s commonly believed that the game originated in France amid the 1600’s. However, as with many other casino games the precise development of the game remains a mystery.
Chemin de fer was brought to the States after the French Revolution, but the game did not become popular in the betting houses until the house offered bonus payouts. This was the only way that appeared to get players betting on blackjack. One variation on the bonus payment was for a gambler to acquire ‘21′ with the black jack card (given a value of ten points) and an ace (given a value of eleven points). With the increasing popularity of the game the pay outs were phased out but the name of the game ‘blackjack’ stayed.
Twenty-one isn’t just about getting a straight ‘twenty one’, but the main adventure is to beat the croupier without busting. The betting house clearly has an advantage over the gambling players in the long term, but with chemin de fer the gambler retains an element of choice.
Since 1931 when the U.S. first approved wagering, chemin de fer has become a classic betting house card game. Furthermore, it’s the combination of both ability and math utilized in pontoon that has caused the game to be hugely popular. Blackjack gives an appealing adventure to any academic, math guy or wagering player looking to research the strategy of the game.