02.11
Biography of Chemin de Fer
Blackjack – also known as ‘twenty-one’ and ‘pontoon’ – is a game that nowadays is usually seen in a betting house with players attempting their luck on achieving the elusive ‘twenty-one’. It is commonly presumed that the game started in France around the 1600’s. However, as with many other casino games the precise evolution of the game is still a mystery.
Black jack was introduced to the United States after the French Revolution, but the game did not become favored in the betting houses until the casino provided payouts as a bonus. This was the only way that seemed to get players gambling on chemin de fer. One variation on the bonus payout was for a gambler to acquire ‘twenty-one’ with the blackjack card (valued at ten points) and an ace (given a value of eleven points). With the expanding appeal of the game the payouts were phased out but the name ‘black jack’ remained.
Black jack isn’t simply about getting an immediate ‘twenty-one’, but the main adventure is to beat the croupier without busting. The casino clearly has an edge over the gambling players in the long run, but with blackjack the player retains an element of choice.
Since 1931 when the U.S. initial approved gambling, black jack has developed into a classic betting house card game. Furthermore, it is the joining of both skill and mathematics employed in black jack that has made the game massively popular. Blackjack gives an attractive proposition to any scientist, math guy or gambling player wanting to examine the strategy of the game.
