Pontoon is another variation of blackjack. The overall objective of Pontoon is not all different from that of a standard blackjack game. There are two different versions of Pontoon. One version is commonly played in Australia, and is what most other countries refer to as Spanish 21. This is not to be confused with the UK version of Pontoon explained in more detail below. The UK version of Pontoon and the Australian version of Pontoon are two different games.

1. Pontoon Blackjack Strategy
2. Pontoon Blackjack Crossword Clue

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How to Play Pontoon Rules (UK Version)

Players will want to get closer to '21' than the dealer does without busting. The dealers' hands can also bust (they must hit soft 17s), which players will win from, or players can get a 'Pontoon' which is another way of saying a 'blackjack' or '21.' But while the objective of Pontoon is the same as blackjack, some of the rules are not.

Pontoon is an exciting multi-hand type of Blackjack that offers players the opportunity of playing up to three hands at the same time. Each hand is played only against the dealer independently, which basically provides players with the chance of winning several times. Blackjack, formerly also Black Jack and Vingt-Un, is the American member of a global family of banking games known as Twenty-One, whose relatives include the British game of Pontoon and the European game, Vingt-et-Un. It is a comparing card game between one or more players and a dealer, where each player in turn competes against the dealer.

For starters, one key difference is that when you 'push' with the dealer, you do not tie and get your wager back. In Pontoon, all pushes are losses for the player. Additionally, players cannot 'stand' whenever they'd like. All hands valued at 14 or less must be hit. Players can only stand on hands valued at 15 or higher.

The biggest difference though has to be that the dealers hand is dealt completely faced down. This will obviously eliminate much of the strategy used in standard blackjack games. However, despite some of the setbacks that these rules create, there are a few more rules that will work to a player's advantage.

The dealers do not play their hands until the all of the action is completed from the players. In fact, they don't even check for natural 21s. This enables players to catch up and create a 21 from their hand which is ruled to beat the natural 21s that the dealers have.

Players can only double down once, but unlike blackjack, they can still hit their hand afterward. This is a huge advantage in itself since we've all been in the situation in blackjack where we try to double down on an 11 only to see our 3rd card be dealt a 3 and have to stand.

Hands can also be split up to two times. The exception to this would be when a player is dealt AA; they could only split their hands once and will only receive one card for each hand.

The last aspect of Pontoon that will give players a significant edge will be what's referred to as the '5-card trick.' This pays out odds of 2:1 if players can hit their hand and receive up to 5 cards total without going over 21. The odds of this being possible will increase as the number of decks in play increase.

Playing Pontoon

Pontoon is definitely a worthwhile blackjack variation to play, despite many of the disadvantages that the differences in rules provide. Although players may not be able to see the dealer's cards or lose to the dealer when they tie, the ability to draw to a 21 and beat the dealer's natural 21 or the ability to draw 5 cards (and not bust) and win 2:1 on their original wager more than makes up for it. In fact, it's plenty made up for considering the house only has a .40% edge when a player is playing optimally.
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Even if you’re new to the gambling scene, you’re probably still familiar with the basic rules of Blackjack. The popular card game has become a fixture in casinos, films and pop culture over the years. You may not, however, be familiar with Blackjack’s slightly less common cousin, Pontoon. While they may appear extremely similar, Blackjack and Pontoon have a few important differences to take into account before deciding which game you’d prefer to play. Let’s take a look at a few of the most prominent differences between the popular casino titles.

Differences in Terminology

One of the most obvious differences in the two games is the way you signify your play to the dealer. In Blackjack, ‘hit’ will let the dealer know that you want another card, but the same action is referred to as ‘twist’ in Pontoon. Similarly, ‘stand’ in Blackjack changes to ‘stick’ in Pontoon, and, if you want to ‘double down’ in Pontoon, you’ll want to say ‘buy’, which will double your bet and get you at least one more card.

Doubling Down
Pontoon separates itself from Blackjack by allowing players to double down, or ‘buy’, before taking multiple subsequent hits, or ‘twists’. Pontoon also allows players to double down with more than two cards in their hands, whereas, in Blackjack, players can only double down on their original two cards.

Forced Twists

In Blackjack, basic strategy may indicate that hitting on an eight is the right play, but the player always has the option to stand. By contrast, Pontoon rules state that players must twist if their hands contain a total of 14 or less.

Tie on a House Advantage

Blackjack rules indicate that a tie is a push, and bets are returned to players. Pontoon, on the other hand, favors the dealer on ties. In other words, you could attain a perfect score of 21 and still lose if the dealer draws the same. To account for the added house advantage, Pontoons, which feature an ace and any 10 value card, pay 2 to 1 odds, as opposed to the 3 to 2 odds paid in Blackjack.

The Five Card Trick

Pontoon also features an additional way for players to win known as a five card trick. For this hand, players need to collect five cards totaling 21 or less. Paying 2 to 1 odds, the five card trick beats a non-pontoon 21. Blackjack, by contrast, simply rewards the players who are closer to 21 than the dealer.

Added Mystery

Players at the blackjack tables are at an advantage, as they can see one of the dealer’s cards when making a decision on whether to hit or stand. Pontoon players have no such luck. In this game, both of the dealer’s cards remain face down, adding a bit of mystery to the game and making strategies more difficult to follow.

Pontoon Blackjack Strategy

Splitting Aces

In Blackjack, splitting aces eliminates the chances of a 3 to 2 payout by disqualifying hands from achieving blackjack. Pontoon players can still achieve a Pontoon after splitting aces, which leaves them in a better position to cash in on the game’s favorable 2 to 1 payouts.

Pontoon Blackjack Crossword Clue

While similar, Pontoon and Blackjack certainly have enough differences to keep players entertained. If you still aren’t sure which game you prefer, it’s a great time to give both a try!