Recorded History of Blackjack
Posted in Blackjack on 03/09/2010 02:21 am by Alex
Blackjack – also referred to as ‘twenty one’ and ‘pontoon’ – is a card game that nowadays is often found in a casino with people trying their luck on achieving the elusive ‘twenty one’. It is commonly presumed that the game originated in France amid the 17th century. However, as with most other casino games the precise evolution of the game is still a mystery.
Chemin de fer was brought to the U.S. after the French Revolution, but the game didn’t become popular in the betting houses until the house offered payouts as a bonus. This was the only method that seemed to get players betting on chemin de fer. One variation on the bonus pay out was for a gambler to make ‘twenty one’ with the blackjack card (given a value of ten points) and an ace (given a value of eleven points). With the increasing popularity of the game the pay outs were phased out but the name of the game ‘pontoon’ stayed.
Blackjack isn’t simply about getting an outright ‘twenty-one’, but the primary challenge is to beat the dealer without busting. The casino clearly has an advantage over the pontoon players in the long run, but with chemin de fer the player holds on to a bit of choice.
Since 1931 when the U.S. initial legitimized gambling, blackjack has grown into a traditional betting house card game. Furthermore, it is the blending of both ability and math employed in chemin de fer that has made the game massively popular. Chemin de fer affords an appealing adventure to any scientist, math guy or gambling player wanting to research the tactic of the game.