How To Play Pontoon Casino
PONTOON RULES To deal Pontoon first you need to choose a banker, which is most often done by drawing the highest card. Then the dealer will deal one card face down to each player starting with the player on the left and going around until the dealer lays his/her own card faced down. You can find this variant at Slots Million online casino. Find NetEnt’s Pontoon variant at Slots Million Casino. Blackjack Pontoon Created by Playtech, players can bet on up to five hands in one round, with a minimum of $0.50 and maximum of $50 available in both practice and real play. Tables with a minimum of $1 and maximum of $100, and a.
How to Play Pontoon. Pontoon has many of the same basic rules of blackjack but the differences are important to note before you start playing the game. In this game, Blackjack is called Pontoon and pays 2 to 1. The exception is when the dealer also has a Pontoon. The dealer then wins. In this game, there are no pushes in the base game. How to Play Pontoon The object of the game is to get closer to 21 than the Dealer. In Pontoon, both of the Dealer’s cards are dealt face down, so you are making your choices against a blind hand. Bingo.com offers a wide range of online casino, slot and live casino games. Win massive jackpots on our jackpot slots. Enjoy frequent bonuses and free spins!
Pontoon Guide
Pontoon is an early version of Blackjack which offers a lot of the action that isn’t allowed in modern Blackjack games. Ranking of hands is different as well, including five-card tricks having a higher value than hands with fewer cards with more points.
How to Play Pontoon
The object of the game is to get closer to 21 than the Dealer. In Pontoon, both of the Dealer’s cards are dealt face down, so you are making your choices against a blind hand.
Player’s Turn
Click on the chips to place a bet, and then click on Deal. Two cards are dealt face up to you and two face down to the Dealer. After reviewing your cards, if you think the value of the cards is close enough to 21, don’t take another card. Click on Stand to finish your hand. If you want to add more points to your hand, click on Hit. The Dealer gives you another card. If you decide to hit and overshoot 21, you go Bust, losing automatically.
Card Values
- Point values for cards 2 through 10 are the same as their face.
- Each Jack, Queen and King is valued at ten points.
- Aces can count as either 1 or 11, whichever is more advantageous to your hand.
Dealer’s Turn
Depending on the hand, the Dealer will hit or stand based on rules that the Dealer must follow.
You Win When
- If the total value of your cards is closer to 21 than the Dealer, you win.
- If the total value of your cards is under 21 and the Dealer busts, you win.
- If you are dealt a face card or Ten, plus an Ace, you have a Pontoon and automatically win.
- If you build a Five-Card Trick (a hand of five cards that equal 21 points or less) that beats the value of the Dealer’s cards without going over.
Payouts
- Pontoon pays 2:1
- Five-card hands 21 and under pay 2:1
Game Features and Bonus Rounds
There are no Bonus Rounds in Pontoon.
Jackpot Information
There is no jackpot in Silver Oak Casino’s Pontoon casino game.
Additional Rules
- The Dealer wins all ties.
- The Dealer’s five-card trick beats your five-card trick if points are even.
- Both Dealer cards are dealt face down.
- The Dealer must hit on soft 17’s.
- You must hit on 14 or less.
- You can double down once any time during a round of play.
- Hitting after doubling down is allowed.
- Split your cards up to two times per round of play.
Strategy & Tips
Pontoon Basic Strategy
| Total | Number of Cards | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 2 | |
| 21 | Stand | Stand | Stand |
| 20 | Stand | Stand | Stand |
| 19 | Stand | Stand | Stand |
| 18 | Stand | Stand | Stand |
| 17 | Hit | Stand | Stand |
| 16 | Double/Hit | Stand | Stand |
| 15 | Double/Hit | Stand | Stand |
| 14 | Double/Hit | Hit | Hit |
| 13 | Double/Hit | Hit | Hit |
| 12 | Double/Hit | Hit | Hit |
| 11 | Double/Hit | Double/Hit | Double/Hit |
| 10 | Double/Hit | Double/Hit | Double/Hit |
| 9 | Double/Hit | Double/Hit | Hit |
| 8 | Double/Hit | Hit | Hit |
| 7 | Hit | Hit | |
| 6 | Hit | Hit | |
| 5 | Hit | ||
| 4 | Hit | ||
| A-10 | Double/Hit | Double/Stand | Stand |
| A-9 | Double/Hit | Double/Hit | Stand |
| A-8 | Double/Hit | Double/Hit | Stand |
| A-7 | Double/Hit | Hit | Hit |
| A-6 | Double/Hit | Hit | Hit |
| A-5 | Double/Hit | Hit | Hit |
| A-4 | Double/Hit | Hit | Hit |
| A-3 | Double/Hit | Hit | Hit |
| A-2 | Hit | Hit | |
| A-A | Split/Stand | ||
| 8-8 | Split/Hit | ||
History
Pontoon is an old British variation of Blackjack.
Glossary
The potential of winning when playing Pontoon is enhanced when you know and understand all the terminology associated with the game.
Bet: The amount of money you want to wager during a round of play.
Play Pontoon Song
Bust: The state of your hand if the total value exceeds 21. If you bust, your bet is lost. If the Dealer busts, you win.
Deal: Clicking Deal begins the game once your bet has been placed. In this variation of Blackjack, you are dealt two cards face up and the Dealer gets two cards face down.
Double: If you think that the next card in the deck will put your hand in position to beat the Dealer, you can “double down”. Your bet is doubled and one card is dealt to your hand. Hitting after doubling down is allowed in Pontoon.
Five-Card Trick: A hand consisting of five cards with a total value of 21 or under. It is the second highest winning hand in Pontoon. It beats any other card combination, equal in points, with fewer cards.
Hit: Clicking Hit adds another card to your hand. Take as many hits as you want before standing.
Pontoon: An Ace and a card with a value of ten points totaling 21. A Pontoon is comprised of two cards and always beats a score of 21 built from three or more cards. Also called Blackjack in other variations of “21” games.
Split: If your first two cards are of the same value (such as 7-7 or J-K), they can be split into two separate hands by doubling your bet. You then proceed to draw cards as usual with the goal of building both hands as close to 21 without going over. You can split up to two times during each round of play.
Stand: Click Stand to keep your hand as it is. If you have 21, you cannot click this option – it is automatically done for you.
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If you like to play blackjack, then you should try Pontoon. It is a fun blackjack variant available at many Australian online casinos. The game plays almost identical to standard blackjack but has a few key differences.
Today, you will learn how to play Pontoon along with some strategies to win more at the game.
How to Play Pontoon
Pontoon has many of the same basic rules of blackjack but the differences are important to note before you start playing the game. In this game, Blackjack is called Pontoon and pays 2 to 1. The exception is when the dealer also has a Pontoon. The dealer then wins. In this game, there are no pushes in the base game. Ties always go to the dealer.
Next, a 5-card hand is an automatic winner provided you do not bust. A winning 5-card hand also pays 2 to 1. All other winning hands pay 1 to 1.
Dealers will always hit a soft 17 in this game and will also stop on any 5-card hand. Also, players may only stand when they have a point total of 15 or greater.
Players can double on any combination of 2 to 4 cards. You can only double once per hand. You can also double after a split. Resplits are not allowed.
The table minimum for most Pontoon games is $1 with a table max of $100.
Pontoon offers a much lower house edge than standard blackjack. The house edge is 0.38% for the base game. Standard blackjack has twice to three times the house edge when using optimal play. Generally, the casino has about a 2% house edge against the average blackjack player.
Sweet 16 Side Bet
How To Play Pontoon Casino Games
Prior to receiving cards, you can make a Sweet 16 side bet. This pays out based on your first two cards. The payout table is below:
- 16-21 Point – 1 to 1
- Ace in Hand – 1 to 1
- Pair of Aces – 2 to 1
- Pair of 2s through 7s – Push
The Sweet 16 side bet has a house edge of 2.52%. While this isn’t horrible compared to some games, it is much higher than the .38% edge of the base game.
When testing the game, we had a good bit of luck with the side bet, winning or pushing on most bets. However, over the long term, it is still a bet that most online casino players should avoid.
Pontoon Strategy
Pontoon has a fairly elaborate strategy, so instead of writing a long strategy section, we’ve decided to give you a couple of hand strategy charts. These come courtesy of Wizard of Odds. Note that these charts are based on live Pontoon. Some versions of online Pontoon may not show the dealer’s first card.
How To Win Pontoon In Casino
Here’s a basic strategy for player hands in Pontoon. The top line is the dealer’s hole card when shown.
Below is how you should play pairs:
If you’re planning to play the Sweet 16 side bet, we would recommend avoiding it. The base game has such a low house edge that you’re giving away equity by playing this bet. Also, the payoffs for the bet are low compared to side bets in other games. The risk just isn’t worth the potential reward.
Play Pontoon Song
This game is available at many online casinos in Australia, including Joka Room, Uptown Pokies, Kahuna Casino, and others. For blackjack fans, this is a great alternative with a lower house edge. Keep in mind that if you’re trying to clear an online casino bonus, it will take a lot longer to do so playing this game. That’s because Pontoon generally only contributes 10% to the wagering requirement.