15 Feb 10

Black Jack – also known as ‘21′ and ‘pontoon’ – is a game that is often found in a casino with people trying their fortune on acquiring the elusive ‘twenty one’. It’s widely presumed that the game came into existence in France amid the 17th century. However, as with most other casino games the exact evolution of the game is a mystery.

Black jack was brought to the US following the French Revolution, but the game didn’t become favored in the gambling dens until the house offered payouts as a bonus. This was the only way that seemed to get gamblers wagering on black jack. One variant on the bonus payment was for a player to acquire ‘twenty-one’ with the blackjack card (given a value of ten points) and an ace (given a value of eleven points). With the expanding popularity of the game the bonus pay outs were canceled but the name ‘black jack’ stayed.

Blackjack is not just about acquiring a straight ‘twenty one’, but the main challenge is to beat the croupier without going ‘bust’. The casino obviously has a house edge over the black jack players in the long run, but with chemin de fer the player holds on to an element of choice.

Since 1931 when America first legalized betting, black jack has become a quintessential gambling den game. Furthermore, it is the fusion of both ability and mathematics employed in twenty-one that has made the game hugely liked. Twenty-one provides an attractive adventure to any scientist, math guy or wagering player wanting to research the tactic of the game.


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