Pontoon is one of the lesser-known casino games. Previously, it was released online only by Real Time Gaming and Cryptologic. Nowadays, you will find Pontoon in almost every online casino. The main advantages are high similarity to blackjack and low house edge, which is 0.38%.
Before we move on to the rules, let's look at the card values.
Aces count for 1 or 11. Of course, the first ace in the dealer's hand counts for 11 if the value of the cards does not exceed 21
High cards (J, Q, K) and tens have a value of 10
Other cards have their face value
An ace combined with a card worth ten is called a Pontoon. Of course, only if they are the first two cards dealt
Pontoon Blackjack Rules
The rules of Pontoon are not very different from the rules of blackjack. The most significant difference is the Pontoon winning combination name, which occurs when a player or dealer receives two cards that add up to 21, or when a player or dealer holds five cards with a total value of less than 21.
Here is a list of standard rules:
Pontoon is played with eight decks of 52 cards. The values of the winning combinations are as follows:
The best winning combination is Pontoon (the first two cards dealt are 21).
It is followed by a five-card trick. It is any hand containing five cards that does not exceed the total value of 21. All five-card combinations have the same value, regardless of the final total.
Any hand that has no value of 21 and contains four or fewer cards. The value of the cards decides the hand that is closer to 21 wins.
The player loses if he exceeds 21.
Pontoon pays 2 : 1, five-card trick 3 : 2, other wins pay 1 : 1.
If a tie situation occurs, the dealer always wins.
The dealer deals two cards face up to each player, one card face up for himself.
The dealer checks to see if he has a Pontoon. If he does, he wins.
If the dealer shows an ace, the player can place an insurance bet. You can use half of the bet that is placed in the selected place. If the dealer gets a Pontoon. The insurance is paid out in a ratio of 2 : 1 - if the dealer does not get a Pontoon, the insurance is forfeited.
The player can stand at 15 or higher or any five-card combination.
The player can get another card in any situation, even after doubling.
A player can use a double if he holds 2 to 4 cards, but only once per game.
This rule also applies when splitting.
Any two cards of the same value can be split as many times as possible.
The player can double even after splitting the aces.
The dealer must take another card if he has 16 or less or a soft 17.