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Blackjack - also referred to as 'Chemin de Fer' and 'pontoon' - is a game that is often seen in a betting house with people attempting their fortune on acquiring the elusive 'twenty-one'. It's widely presumed that the game started in France around the 17th century. However, as with many other gambling games the precise evolution of the game remains a mystery.

Black jack was introduced to the United States following the French Revolution, but the game didn't become favored in the casinos until the house provided bonus payouts. This was the only way that seemed to get gamblers wagering on blackjack. One variant on the reward payout was for a gambler to acquire 'twenty-one' with the black jack card (valued at 10 points) and an ace (valued at 11 points). With the growing popularity of the game the pay outs were phased out but the name of the game 'twenty-one' stayed.

Blackjack is not simply about achieving an outright 'twenty-one', but the main adventure is to beat the dealer without busting. The betting house obviously has a house edge over the gambling players over the long run, but with twenty-one the gambler holds on to an element of choice.

Since 1931 when the U.S. initial legitimized gambling, blackjack has become a traditional casino game. Furthermore, it's the fusion of both ability and mathematics used in black jack that has caused the game to be massively liked. Twenty-one gives an attractive proposition to any academic, mathematician or betting player looking to examine the strategy of the game.