Mar 162010
Black Jack – also referred to as ‘21′ and ‘pontoon’ – is a card game that nowadays is commonly found in a betting house with people trying their luck on achieving the elusive ‘twenty one’. It is commonly believed that the game originated in France amid the 1600’s. However, as with many other betting games the exact development of the game is a mystery.
Pontoon was brought to the United States following the French Revolution, but the game did not become favored in the gambling dens until the casino offered bonus payouts. This was the only way that seemed to get players betting on twenty-one. One variation on the bonus payment was for a gambler to make ‘twenty-one’ with the black jack card (valued at ten points) and an ace (worth 11 points). With the growing appeal of the game the pay outs were phased out but the name of the game ‘pontoon’ stayed.
Black jack isn’t just about achieving a straight ‘twenty one’, but the main adventure is to defeat the croupier without going ‘bust’. The betting house clearly has a house edge over the pontoon players over the long term, but with blackjack the player retains an element of choice.
Since 1931 when America initial legitimized gambling, pontoon has developed into a quintessential betting house card game. Furthermore, it’s the blending of both skill and mathematics used in twenty-one that has made the game hugely loved. Black jack gives an attractive proposition to any academic, mathematician or betting player wanting to analyze the tactic of the game.
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