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Blackjack – also referred to as ‘Chemin de Fer’ and ‘pontoon’ – is a card game that nowadays is often found in a betting house with people attempting their luck on achieving the elusive ‘twenty-one’. It’s commonly presumed that the game started in France during the 1600’s. However, as with many other gambling games the exact evolution of the game is a mystery.

Black jack was brought to the US following the French Revolution, but the game didn’t become favored in the gambling dens until the house provided payouts as a bonus. This was the only method that seemed to get gamblers betting on chemin de fer. One variation on the bonus payout was for a gambler to make ‘twenty one’ with the blackjack card (given a value of ten points) and an ace (worth eleven points). With the expanding popularity of the game the payouts were canceled but the name of the game ‘chemin de fer’ lasted.

Pontoon isn’t just about achieving a straight ‘twenty-one’, but the main adventure is to beat the croupier without busting. The casino certainly has an edge over the gambling players in the long term, but with twenty-one the player holds on to a bit of choice.

Since 1931 when America initial legitimized betting, twenty-one has become a classic betting house card game. Furthermore, it’s the combination of both skill and mathematics employed in chemin de fer that has caused the game to be hugely loved. Chemin de fer provides an appealing proposition to any academic, mathematician or wagering player wanting to analyze the strategy of the game.