Black Jack – also known as ‘Chemin de Fer’ and ‘pontoon’ – is a card game that nowadays is often seen in a casino with people trying their luck on achieving the elusive ‘21′. It is widely believed that the game started in France amid the 17th century. However, as with many other gambling games the precise evolution of the game is a mystery.
Black jack was introduced to the US following the French Revolution, but the game did not become popular in the betting houses until the house provided payouts as a bonus. This was the only way that appeared to get people wagering on chemin de fer. One variant on the reward payment was for a player to acquire ‘21′ with the blackjack card (worth ten points) and an ace (valued at eleven points). With the increasing popularity of the game the payouts were canceled but the name ‘pontoon’ remained.
Blackjack is not simply about achieving an immediate ‘21′, but the primary challenge is to defeat the croupier without busting. The betting house obviously has a house edge over the blackjack players in the long term, but with chemin de fer the player retains a bit of choice.
Since 1931 when the U.S. first legalized betting, chemin de fer has grown into a quintessential betting house card game. Furthermore, it is the joining of both ability and math utilized in twenty-one that has caused the game to be massively loved. Black jack gives an alluring adventure to any academic, math guy or wagering player wanting to examine the scheme of the game.