Black Jack – also referred to as ‘21′ and ‘pontoon’ – is a card game that is usually found in a casino with people attempting their luck on achieving the elusive ‘21′. It’s commonly presumed that the game originated in France around the 1600’s. However, as with most other casino games the precise development of the game is a mystery.

Pontoon was introduced to the U.S. after 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 players wagering on chemin de fer. One variant on the reward payout was for a player to make ‘21′ with the black jack card (worth 10 points) and an ace (worth 11 points). With the expanding appeal of the game the bonus pay outs were canceled but the name ‘pontoon’ remained.

Pontoon isn’t just about getting an outright ‘twenty-one’, but the primary challenge is to defeat the croupier without going ‘bust’. The casino clearly has a house edge over the black jack players in the long term, but with twenty-one the player holds on to an element of choice.

Since 1931 when America first legitimized betting, chemin de fer has grown into a classic gambling den card game. Furthermore, it’s the blending of both skill and mathematics employed in black jack that has caused the game to be massively loved. Blackjack affords an appealing adventure to any academic, mathematician or gambling player wanting to analyze the strategy of the game.