Black Jack – also known as ‘21′ and ‘pontoon’ – is a card game that nowadays is usually found in a casino with players trying their fortune on achieving the elusive ‘21′. It is commonly presumed that the game originated in France around the 17th century. However, as with many other gambling games the exact evolution of the game is still a mystery.

Pontoon was brought to the U.S. following the French Revolution, but the game didn’t become popular in the casinos until the house offered bonus payouts. This was the only method that seemed to get people betting on blackjack. One variation on the bonus payment was for a gambler to acquire ‘twenty one’ with the blackjack card (worth ten points) and an ace (worth eleven points). With the expanding appeal of the game the payouts were canceled but the name of the game ‘twenty-one’ remained.

Chemin de fer is not just about getting an outright ‘21′, but the primary challenge is to defeat the croupier without busting. The betting house certainly has an advantage over the gambling players in the long term, but with chemin de fer the player holds on to a bit of choice.

Since nineteen thirty one when the U.S. initial approved gambling, twenty-one has grown into a quintessential gambling den card game. Furthermore, it’s the combination of both ability and math used in pontoon that has made the game hugely popular. Black jack gives an alluring proposition to any scientist, math guy or betting player looking to analyze the tactic of the game.