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Online Pontoon Blackjack |
Pontoon is British-style blackjack. But you don't have to travel all the way to the UK for a good game of pontoon. You can now play pontoon easily and conveniently in the online casino from anywhere in the world.
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The basic idea in pontoon is the same as in regular blackjack games: your goal is get closer to 21 than the dealer, but without going over. But pontoon has its own special blackjack rules and terms, which make it an interesting change of pace from your conventional blackjack games.
The rules of pontoon are similar to conventional blackjack rules, but there are some differences that are worth noting.
Online pontoon is played with eight 52-card decks. Cards have the same value as in regular blackjack. All numbered cards are worth their face value in points. All face cards (Jacks, Queens, and Kings) are worth 10 points each. The ace is worth either 1 point or 11 points, whichever is better at the time.
The pontoon game starts with the players placing their bets. The dealer then deals two cards face-up to each player, and two cards face-down to himself. There is no dealer "up card" in pontoon.
Pontoon has its own special vocabulary. To "twist" is to take another card (known in regular blackjack as to "hit"). To "stick" is to decline another card (the same as to "stand" in blackjack).
To "buy" in pontoon is similar to doubling down in other blackjack games, in that the amount of your bet is doubled. There are two important differences, however, that are advantageous to you as the player. First, in regular blackjack, you can double down only on your first two cards; in pontoon, you can buy with two, three, or four cards. Second, in regular blackjack, you may receive only one more card after you double down. In pontoon, you may continue to twist after you buy.
The player may not stick with a hand of 14 or less. He may twist or buy or, in appropriate circumstances, split, but he is not permitted to stick (unless he has five cards). With a hand of 15 or more, the player may play his pontoon hand however he wants to: stick, twist, buy, or split.
A "pontoon" is defined as an ace and any 10-point card. In other words, a pontoon is another name for a blackjack (or a natural). A pontoon pays out 2 to 1 on your bet. This is better than regular blackjack games in which a blackjack pays 3 to 2 (equivalent to 1-1/2 to 1). A "5-Card trick" — another pontoon specialty — is a hand with five cards that has not busted. All 5-Card tricks have the same value — the specific point total does not matter. A pontoon beats a 5-card trick, but a 5-card trick beats all other hands. A winning 5-card trick pays out 2 to 1 on your bet. |
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In pontoon, you may split unlike 10-value cards, such as a 10 and a jack. If you split 10-point cards and draw an ace, or if you split aces and draw a 10-point card, it counts as a Pontoon and pays out 2 to 1. This is different from most blackjack games, in which a two-card 21 after splitting is just a regular win and not a blackjack.
If the player busts he immediately loses and forfeits his cards and total bet. After all the players have played out their hands, it is the dealer's turn to turn his cards face up and to play his hand. The dealer must twist on all hands up to 16, and stick on all hands of 17 or more.
If the dealer bust, he loses and all non-busted players win. If the dealer does not bust, the dealer's hand and all remaining players' hands are compared.
After the dealer's cards and remaining players' cards are compared, a player's pontoon or 5-card trick pays 2:1, other winning hands pay even money, and ties lose.
Pontoon basic strategy charts are available at various pontoon Internet sites. It is a good idea to find one and use it when you play pontoon online.
A pontoon basic strategy chart is completely different from a blackjack basic strategy chart. A blackjack basic strategy table plots your cards against the dealer's up card, but remember: there is no dealer's up card in pontoon.
A pontoon basic strategy table plots your card total against the number of cards in your hand. The number of cards is important because one of your goals in playing pontoon is to achieve a 5-card trick with its 2-to-1 payout.
For example, if you have three cards that total 17, the pontoon basic strategy chart advises you to stick. But if you have four cards that total 17, it's a different story. All you need is one more card — an ace, 2, 3, or 4 — to get the 5-card trick. The odds of getting it are not great, but they are good enough, and the potential reward is big enough, that it is worth taking the chance. So the basic pontoon strategy chart advises twisting on a 4-card 17. It also advises buying on any 4-card hand totaling 16 or less. That shows you the importance of trying for a 5-card trick in pontoon strategy.
At Wild Jack Online Casino, you can play Pontoon Gold online for real money or just for practice. If you want to double, triple, even quintuple the excitement, you can play Multi-Hand Pontoon Gold.
So the next time you're in the mood to play online blackjack, try something different, something with some of the well-known British style and flair. Online Pontoon Gold and Multi-Hand Pontoon Gold are two more reasons to make Wild Jack Casino your online blackjack casino.
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