Blackjack – also known as ‘twenty one’ and ‘pontoon’ – is a card game that nowadays is commonly seen in a casino with players trying their fortune on acquiring the elusive ‘twenty-one’. It is commonly presumed that the game started in France around the 17th century. However, as with many other gambling games the exact development of the game is a mystery.
Black jack was introduced to the States after the French Revolution, but the game did not become popular in the betting houses until the house offered bonus payouts. This was the only way that seemed to get players wagering on black jack. One variant on the reward pay out was for a player to make ‘twenty one’ with the blackjack card (valued at 10 points) and an ace (worth eleven points). With the growing popularity of the game the payouts were phased out but the name of the game ‘blackjack’ stayed.
Pontoon isn’t just about getting an outright ‘21′, but the main adventure is to beat the dealer without going ‘bust’. The casino obviously has an edge over the gambling players over the long run, but with pontoon the player holds on to a bit of choice.
Since nineteen thirty one when America initial legalized gambling, twenty-one has developed into a classic gambling den card game. Furthermore, it is the joining of both skill and math employed in black jack that has made the game massively popular. Blackjack provides an appealing adventure to any scientist, mathematician or gambling player looking to analyze the strategy of the game.
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