Black Jack – also known as ‘Chemin de Fer’ and ‘pontoon’ – is a card game that is commonly seen in a betting house with people attempting their luck on achieving the elusive ‘21′. It is commonly believed that the game came into existence in France through the 1600’s. However, as with many other betting games the exact evolution of the game is a mystery.
Chemin de fer was introduced to the US after the French Revolution, but the game didn’t become popular in the gambling dens until the house offered bonus payouts. This was the only way that appeared to get gamblers gambling on twenty-one. One variant on the reward pay out was for a player to acquire ‘twenty-one’ with the black jack card (valued at 10 points) and an ace (valued at 11 points). With the growing appeal of the game the payouts were canceled but the name of the game ‘twenty-one’ stayed.
Blackjack is not simply about acquiring an immediate ‘twenty-one’, but the primary adventure is to beat the croupier without busting. The casino clearly has an advantage over the chemin de fer players over the long run, but with blackjack the player retains a bit of choice.
Since 1931 when the U.S. initial legitimized wagering, pontoon has become a quintessential gambling den game. Furthermore, it is the combination of both ability and mathematics utilized in twenty-one that has made the game hugely popular. Chemin de fer gives an attractive adventure to any scientist, math guy or wagering player looking to research the tactic of the game.