Black Jack – also known as ‘twenty-one’ and ‘pontoon’ – is a game that is usually found in a casino with people attempting their luck on acquiring the elusive ‘twenty one’. It’s commonly presumed that the game originated in France through the 1600’s. However, as with most other casino games the precise evolution of the game is a mystery.
Twenty-one was introduced to the States after the French Revolution, but the game did not become favored in the casinos until the casino offered payouts as a bonus. This was the only method that appeared to get players wagering on pontoon. One variant on the bonus pay out was for a player to acquire ‘21′ with the black jack card (valued at ten points) and an ace (worth eleven points). With the increasing appeal of the game the payouts were canceled but the name ‘twenty-one’ lasted.
Black jack is not just about getting an outright ‘twenty-one’, but the main challenge is to defeat the dealer without going ‘bust’. The casino obviously has an edge over the gambling players over the long run, but with blackjack the gambler holds on to an element of choice.
Since 1931 when the U.S. first legitimized gambling, twenty-one has become a quintessential casino card game. Furthermore, it’s the combination of both skill and mathematics employed in black jack that has caused the game to be massively liked. Pontoon provides an alluring adventure to any academic, math guy or gambling player wanting to analyze the strategy of the game.