Black Jack – also known as ‘Chemin de Fer’ and ‘pontoon’ – is a game that is often seen in a betting house with people trying their luck on acquiring the elusive ‘twenty one’. It’s widely believed that the game originated in France around the 1600’s. However, as with most other casino games the precise development of the game remains a mystery.
Chemin de fer was brought to the United States after 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 gambling on black jack. One variant on the reward payment was for a player to make ‘twenty-one’ with the black jack card (worth 10 points) and an ace (valued at eleven points). With the increasing appeal of the game the payouts were phased out but the name ‘chemin de fer’ stayed.
Twenty-one is not simply about acquiring a straight ‘21′, but the primary challenge is to beat the dealer without going ‘bust’. The casino certainly has a house edge over the black jack players over the long term, but with twenty-one the gambler holds on to a bit of choice.
Since 1931 when the U.S. first legitimized wagering, chemin de fer has become a quintessential gambling den card game. Furthermore, it’s the blending of both ability and mathematics used in black jack that has caused the game to be hugely liked. Pontoon gives an alluring adventure to any scientist, math guy or gambling player wanting to examine the tactic of the game.