Blackjack – also known as ‘21′ and ‘pontoon’ – is a game that is commonly seen in a casino with people attempting their fortune on achieving the elusive ‘twenty one’. It is commonly believed that the game came into existence in France amid the 17th century. However, as with most other gambling games the exact evolution of the game is a mystery.
Pontoon was brought to the States after the French Revolution, but the game didn’t become popular in the betting houses until the house offered bonus payouts. This was the only way that seemed to get players betting on twenty-one. One variation on the reward pay out was for a gambler to acquire ‘twenty one’ with the black jack card (worth 10 points) and an ace (worth 11 points). With the expanding appeal of the game the payouts were phased out but the name of the game ‘black jack’ lasted.
Twenty-one is not simply about achieving an outright ‘twenty-one’, but the main challenge is to defeat the croupier without going ‘bust’. The betting house obviously has an edge over the blackjack players in the long term, but with pontoon the gambler retains a bit of choice.
Since 1931 when America first approved gambling, pontoon has grown into a classic casino game. Furthermore, it’s the combination of both ability and math utilized in chemin de fer that has caused the game to be hugely loved. Pontoon provides an alluring proposition to any academic, mathematician or gambling player wanting to research the scheme of the game.
