Pontoon Blackjack
Pontoon is a blackjack variant that originated mainly in Britain (and its former colonies), but can now be found in many online casinos as well. The classic version of Pontoon varies by casino or country where it is offered, but in the online casinos where Pontoon is offered, it is very similar to blackjack.
Therefore, there are many similarities in online Pontoon to the regular game of blackjack. In fact, at first glance the games hardly seem to differ at all. First of all, the goal of the game is to get as close to 21 points as possible, but not to go over that number. The cards are counted in exactly the same way as in blackjack and the course of the game is also largely the same.
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The Game
The croupier deals two cards to each player and two to the bank. Unlike in blackjack, in Pontoon the banker’s cards are both turned over; therefore, players do not see the value of these cards. After the cards are dealt, the croupier looks to see if the bank has “Pontoon” (similar to the hole-card rule in blackjack). If not, the game continues.
First, it is the players’ turn. Players choose whether to buy a card to get closer to 21, to do nothing, to do a double (following the same rules as in blackjack) or to split identical cards. Pontoon is thus broadly the same as blackjack, but players do not see what cards the bank has.
Also, if there is a tie, a player loses the stake. The highest combination in Pontoon is the Pontoon and consists of exactly the same cards as blackjack: an Ace and a card worth 10 points.
A major difference from blackjack is that in Pontoon, a hand with five cards is worth the same as a Pontoon itself. Thus, if a player has five cards in total, he or she will receive double the wager as profit; thus, a wager of $10 gives $20 in profit.
So too Pontoon itself is worth more than a blackjack in the game of the same name. All other ways to win pay out exactly the same amount as winnings. Although these rules are generally applied, there are still differences.
The developers who create the games for online casinos all have slightly different rules. Still, the main unique features of Pontoon (the two closed cards, the payout rules and the game play) remain largely the same.