Recorded History of Blackjack
Posted in Blackjack on 02/22/2010 09:21 pm by Susan
Black Jack – also known as ‘21′ and ‘pontoon’ – is a card game that is commonly found in a casino with players attempting their fortune on acquiring the elusive ‘twenty one’. It is widely presumed that the game came into existence in France during the 1600’s. However, as with many other gambling games the precise development of the game is still a mystery.
Twenty-one was brought to the States after the French Revolution, but the game did not become favored in the gambling dens until the casino offered bonus payouts. This was the only method that appeared to get players wagering on pontoon. One variation on the reward pay out was for a gambler to make ‘twenty-one’ with the black jack card (valued at ten points) and an ace (valued at 11 points). With the increasing appeal of the game the pay outs were phased out but the name of the game ‘chemin de fer’ stayed.
Black jack isn’t simply about getting an outright ‘twenty one’, but the main challenge is to beat the croupier without busting. The betting house certainly has an edge over the twenty-one players in the long run, but with black jack the player holds on to a bit of choice.
Since nineteen thirty one when the U.S. first legitimized wagering, pontoon has developed into a quintessential gambling den game. Furthermore, it is the blending of both skill and mathematics used in black jack that has made the game massively popular. Twenty-one gives an alluring adventure to any scientist, mathematician or gambling player wanting to research the tactic of the game.