History of Black Jack

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Posted by Heath | Posted in Blackjack | Posted on 15-02-2010

Blackjack – also referred to as ‘twenty-one’ and ‘pontoon’ – is a card game that is generally found in a casino with people trying their fortune on achieving the elusive ‘21′. It is commonly presumed that the game started in France through the 17th century. However, as with many other betting games the exact evolution of the game is still a mystery.

Pontoon was brought to the US following the French Revolution, but the game did not become popular in the betting houses until the house offered payouts as a bonus. This was the only way that appeared to get gamblers betting on twenty-one. One variation on the bonus payment was for a player to make ‘twenty-one’ with the black jack card (valued at ten points) and an ace (worth eleven points). With the growing appeal of the game the payouts were phased out but the name ‘chemin de fer’ lasted.

Twenty-one is not simply about getting a straight ‘21′, but the primary challenge is to defeat the croupier without going ‘bust’. The casino obviously has an advantage over the blackjack players in the long run, but with twenty-one the gambler retains a bit of choice.

Since 1931 when the U.S. initial legalized wagering, blackjack has grown into a quintessential gambling den card game. Furthermore, it is the fusion of both ability and mathematics utilized in pontoon that has made the game massively popular. Chemin de fer provides an alluring proposition to any academic, mathematician or betting player wanting to examine the tactic of the game.

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