Recorded History of Blackjack
Blackjack – also known as ‘twenty-one’ and ‘pontoon’ – is a game that is commonly seen in a betting house with people trying their fortune on acquiring the elusive ‘twenty one’. It’s widely presumed that the game came into existence in France during the 1600’s. However, as with most other betting games the exact evolution of the game remains a mystery.
Blackjack was introduced to the United States following the French Revolution, but the game did not become popular in the betting houses until the house offered bonus payouts. This was the only method that seemed to get people gambling on twenty-one. One variation on the reward pay out was for a gambler to acquire ‘twenty-one’ with the black jack card (worth ten points) and an ace (worth eleven points). With the increasing appeal of the game the payouts were canceled but the name ‘twenty-one’ stayed.
Blackjack is not just about getting an immediate ‘twenty-one’, but the main challenge is to beat the croupier without busting. The betting house clearly has a house edge over the gambling players in the long term, but with pontoon the player holds on to a bit of choice.
Since nineteen thirty one when America initial legitimized wagering, pontoon has become a quintessential gambling den game. Furthermore, it is the fusion of both skill and math used in pontoon that has made the game hugely popular. Pontoon gives an appealing proposition to any scientist, mathematician or gambling player wanting to examine the scheme of the game.
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