Pontoon
If you have ever played Blackjack, congratulations; you're already familiar with the card game Pontoon. In fact, Pontoon is merely a variation of Blackjack, which - incidentally - is also known as Twenty-One.
History of Pontoon
Before the game called Blackjack even existed, the French came up with what was known as ‘Vingt-et-Un' - which translated means literally ‘Twenty-One.' The game's origins can be traced all the way back to French casinos around the beginning of the 18th Century. When Blackjack first arrived to the America, the game failed to gain popularity and so casinos began to offer different bonus payoffs as a way to steer more players to their tables.
One of these bonuses was the 10-to-1 payoff for a player holding the Ace of spades and a black (spades or clubs) Jack. This hand became known as "Blackjack" and hence the English name. The bonus scheme was eventually driven out of town - so-to-speak - and no longer exists. Today, a hand need not comprise a Jack nor any black-suited cards for it to be termed a ‘perfect' Blackjack, or a ‘Natural.' Instead, an Ace and any 10-value card will suffice.
How to Play
Given that there are literally hundreds of online casinos out there, it's safe to say there are also numerous varieties of Pontoon and thus different rules. The information we've provided for you here was prepared based on the most popular form of Pontoon played over the Internet today. This particular variety was developed by Playtech, a leading name in gaming software.
Playing Pontoon couldn't be easier. As in Blackjack, the object in the game of Pontoon is to draw cards having a total sum closer to 21 than the cards held by the dealer. Oh, and without going over 21, we might add. You are dealt two cards face up, while the dealer is also dealt two cards, only face down.
The dealer must hit on 16 and Soft 17, and stand on Hard 17. A ‘Soft 17' is hand having at least one Ace and the total sum of the cards can equal either 7 or 17. For instance a hand having an Ace, 3 and 3 is a Soft 17. A hand having an Ace, 7 and 9 is a Hard 17 because the ace can't be worth 11. Otherwise it's a bust. In the case of a tie - or ‘push' - the dealer (House) wins.
One important note: If you're thinking about counting cards, forget it; there's no telling how many decks an online casino is playing with.
How Pontoon & Blackjack Differ
Though subtle, the differences between Pontoon and Blackjack are as follows:
In Pontoon there are 2 hands that trump a regular 21: Pontoon, which contains an Ace and a 10 or picture card, and a 5-Card Trick, which is when a player draws 5 cards without busting, regardless of what the total value of their hand is.
The dealer's cards are dealt face down and remain so until the player either stands or busts.
The player must hit with a hand of 15 or less.
The dealer will check his/her cards immediately after they are dealt. If he/she has a Pontoon, the dealer's cards are turned face-up without delay and the player loses their bet.
In the case of a push (tie), the dealer wins.
After doubling, a player may draw as many cards as they wish.
Players may only split cards of equal rank. In other words, two sevens can be split as well as jack queen or king, which are all worth 10 points.
If you get an Ace and a 10-value or picture card in your split hand, you've got Pontoon.
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