Black Jack – also referred to as ‘Chemin de Fer’ and ‘pontoon’ – is a game that is often found in a casino with people trying their luck on acquiring the elusive ‘twenty one’. It’s widely presumed that the game originated in France through the 17th century. However, as with many other casino games the precise development of the game remains a mystery.

Twenty-one was brought to the US following the French Revolution, but the game didn’t become popular in the gambling dens until the casino offered payouts as a bonus. This was the only method that seemed to get players wagering on twenty-one. One variant on the reward payment was for a player to acquire ‘twenty-one’ with the blackjack card (valued at ten points) and an ace (worth 11 points). With the expanding popularity of the game the bonus pay outs were canceled but the name of the game ‘black jack’ lasted.

Blackjack isn’t just about achieving an outright ‘21′, but the main adventure is to beat the dealer without going ‘bust’. The casino certainly has a house edge over the gambling players over the long run, but with blackjack the player holds on to an element of choice.

Since 1931 when America initial legalized betting, blackjack has grown into a classic gambling den game. Furthermore, it is the blending of both skill and mathematics utilized in chemin de fer that has made the game hugely loved. Black jack gives an alluring proposition to any academic, mathematician or gambling player looking to analyze the strategy of the game.