[ English ]

Black Jack – also referred to as ‘21′ and ‘pontoon’ – is a card game that nowadays is generally found in a casino with players trying their luck on achieving the elusive ‘twenty one’. It’s commonly presumed that the game originated in France through the 1600’s. However, as with many other betting games the exact evolution of the game is still a mystery.

Chemin de fer was introduced to the United States after the French Revolution, but the game did not become favored in the gambling dens until the casino provided payouts as a bonus. This was the only way that appeared to get players wagering on chemin de fer. One variant on the bonus pay out was for a player to acquire ‘twenty one’ with the blackjack card (worth 10 points) and an ace (worth eleven points). With the increasing popularity of the game the payouts were phased out but the name ‘black jack’ lasted.

Black jack is not just about acquiring a straight ‘twenty one’, but the primary adventure is to defeat the dealer without going ‘bust’. The betting house clearly has a house edge over the gambling players over the long run, but with chemin de fer the gambler holds on to a bit of choice.

Since 1931 when the U.S. initial approved betting, chemin de fer has developed into a classic betting house card game. Furthermore, it’s the combination of both ability and math used in pontoon that has made the game hugely loved. Chemin de fer gives an attractive adventure to any scientist, mathematician or gambling player looking to research the scheme of the game.