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Black Jack – also known as ‘Chemin de Fer’ and ‘pontoon’ – is a game that is generally seen in a casino with players trying their luck on achieving the elusive ‘21′. It is widely presumed that the game originated in France around the 17th century. However, as with most other casino games the exact evolution of the game remains a mystery.

Twenty-one was introduced to the States after the French Revolution, but the game didn’t become popular in the casinos until the casino offered payouts as a bonus. This was the only method that seemed to get players wagering on blackjack. One variant on the bonus pay out was for a gambler to make ‘twenty-one’ with the black jack card (given a value of ten points) and an ace (given a value of 11 points). With the expanding appeal of the game the pay outs were phased out but the name ‘pontoon’ remained.

Chemin de fer is not just about getting an outright ‘twenty-one’, but the main challenge is to defeat the croupier without busting. The casino certainly has an edge over the chemin de fer players in the long run, but with twenty-one the player retains an element of choice.

Since 1931 when the U.S. first legalized wagering, chemin de fer has grown into a classic casino card game. Furthermore, it’s the blending of both skill and math utilized in twenty-one that has made the game hugely popular. Blackjack provides an appealing proposition to any academic, mathematician or wagering player wanting to analyze the strategy of the game.