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Blackjack is one of the more well-known games wagered on in casinos. Blackjack is also known as "twenty one" or "pontoon." The game is a mix of luck and skills coupled with decision-making. The game has changed over a period of time. Players have specialized in specific abilities like "card counting," which allows them to shift the odds of the game in their favor. The card game has been around since the 18th century. References can be located in historical documents to a card game known as "vingt-et-un," which means 21 in French, and is thought of as the precursor to black jack.

The card game was originally not very popular in the states. This led to the betting houses trying a variety of things like providing a reward like a 10-to-1 pay out, if the player got an ace of spades and a black jack. The jack could be either clubs or spades. Once the game got well-known, the reward payout soon vanished from the rules.

Any hand which achieves a total of twenty-one is deemed a winner. The total should not be in excess of twenty-one, if it does the hand is considered to be "bust." The goal of every player is to defeat the croupier. If the black jack player and the house both have the same score, it’s referred to as a "push" (a tie), with neither the black jack player or the dealer winning the hand.