How Do You Play Pontoon Cards

Real time Gaming software provides Pontoon game to be played at RTG powered online casinos. As you know Pontoon is a very easy game to play with simple interface and quick rules to understand. Here the Pontoon plays out with 2 typical decks consisting of 52 cards. It runs much like a game a blackjack as an Ace with a 10. To win is simple as just as the hand would in a game of blackjack. Players can also obtain a hand containing 5 cards that add up to 21 or less. This yields a payout of 2 to 1. However, the dealer does always win in a tie throughout the game of Pontoon. Also, the dealer’s hands are always faced down, lending no insurance option like some blackjack games do.

RTG Pontoon Layout

Real Time Gaming brings Pontoon with a classic table game design. The look and feel gives you a sensation of being in a real live land casino where you also possess the ability to change the card speed and volume according to your preference, bringing the game to life even more so. Moreover you have the option to play for free or with real money at RTG pontoon online game.

Announce a Pontoon, if you have an ace and a ten point card, declare your pontoon by placing your ten point card face-down and your ace face-up on top of it. Split your cards, if you have two cards of equal rank you can split them. In doing so, separate each card into two hands, put them face-up, and place an equal bet to your initial bet. In Pontoon you can double (buy) on two, three or four cards, while in blackjack only on the first two cards. In blackjack all ties with the dealer are pushed, while in Pontoon ties are lost. As mentioned earlier, if you and the dealer have a pontoon, the dealer always wins, while in blackjack it is a push.

There is an autoplay option in the game where you can set up the number of games you want to just play out automatically. You can even set the conditions to stop playing or can even catch up with autoplay games by viewing the history of gameplay at any time. Pontoon does only play in a single hand version, rather than most online casino games that offer multi hands.
>h2>The rules of the game and how to play

Unlike most blackjack variations, Pontoon requires the player to hit on 14 – there will be no option to stand on hands under 15 and hitting is limited to five times for both the player and the dealer. The player can also double down and split the same cards, playing.

Rules are simple to grasp. All ties go to the Dealer. Dealer will hit on a hard 16 or a soft 17. Dealer will stand on a hard 17 or soft 18 as well as a 5-card hand of any total. A Dealer’s 5-card hand will beat a Player’s 5-card hand. A player can hit up to 5 times. A player can only stand once he or she reaches a total of 15 points or has 5 cards. Doubling is allowed once on the same hand. Splitting is allowed on any pair, up to three hands.

Pontoon Card Game

The game is played with eight 52-card decks, or two decks at some online casinos like Bovada. All the cards have the same value as in blackjack. A the start of the game, you get your two cards, and the Dealer gets two cards, except in this game, the Dealer’s cards are both face down.

Then the dealer will deal each player two cards face up and two cards face down to the dealer. The dealer will peek at his cards for a pontoon. If the dealer has a pontoon he will immediately turn it over and collect all wagers and cards.

How To Play Pontoon Card Game

The player may stand on any total greater or equal to 15, or on any 5-card hand. The player may hit at any point, including after doubling. The player may double on 2 to 4 cards, but only once per hand. The option includes after splitting, and once for each split hand.

The player may split two cards of equal rank. The player may resplit once, up to a total of three hands, including aces. When the player splits the first card dealt to each hand shall be automatic.

Player may draw and double after splitting aces. The 2-card 21 after splitting aces counts as a pontoon.

If the player busts he immediately loses and forfeits his cards and total wager. After all players have played out their hands the dealer shall expose his two cards. Then the dealer shall continue to draw cards until he has a total of 17 points or more, except the dealer shall hit a soft 17. The dealer will also stop with any five-card hand.

The dealer shall compare his hand to each player hand. A winning player pontoon or five-card hand shall pay 2 to 1. All other player wins shall pay 1 to 1 (even money) and Ties lose.

The payouts are fairly decent here as well. A Pontoon will pay 2 to 1, and you’ll get the same odds on a 5-card hand. You can always read the RTG rulebook, as well as go through a quick rule menu which you can access at anytime during your play.

You can play Real Time Gaming pontoon at online casinos like Prism Casino, Cool Cat Casino, Bovada Casino and few others. While there is really no bonus round with the Pontoon game, most of the casinos that do offer the game offer you great sign up bonuses to play the game. This could allow players to collect additional winnings on that game of Pontoon just for singing up with the online casino that offers RTG powered Pontoon game to play.

Pontoon is a blackjack variant that is only available at online casinos. It is distributed by RealTime Gaming. This online casino group accepts US players. Playtech and Betsoft also spread the game.

Microgaming has Pontoon, too. However, split aces only receive one card. To offset this, the dealer stands on soft 17. This version is less favorable to players, so we suggest playing at one of the other sites for this reason.

Pontoon uses a standard 52-card deck. Players are forced to hit any hand 14 and under. There is a separate value hand just below a blackjack which is called “pontoon” in this game. It is a five-card trick.

There are many strategy changes due to the unusual rules. Make sure to learn the basic strategy for Pontoon before playing. We go over it and the differences in Pontoon below.

Differences Between Pontoon and Traditional Blackjack

There are several differences between Pontoon and traditional blackjack.

A blackjack hand, called pontoon, pays 2-1. A two-card 21 after a split counts as a pontoon. A five-card hand that does not bust and wins has the same payout. The dealer can tie on these. The house wins all ties.

The dealer does not take a hole card until all players act. This is the European way of dealing blackjack.

Both dealer hole cards are face down. This makes the strategy easy to learn, as you don’t have to take a dealer’s exposed card into account.

Players may double down at any time. However, an ace always counts as one when doubling. Players can hit after a double down and must if the hand is not 15 or higher. Split aces may be hit, doubled, and re-split.

The first step in playing Pontoon is choosing the denomination of chips that you would like to use. The next step is to click the betting circle until the wager equals what you want it to be.

After that, click deal, and you will receive two cards. You may bet up to three hands at the same time.

If the player has a pontoon, which is the same as a blackjack in a normal game, the hand ends. The dealer will then check to see if it also has it. If the player has it alone, the hand pays 2-1. If the dealer also has it, the house wins.

If the player or dealer do not have pontoon, the hand continues as normal. The dealer does not check for pontoon until the end of the hand.All bets made through the duration of the hand will lose if the dealer has pontoon.

If nobody has pontoon, players are given the following options.

Hit
Stand
Double down
Surrender
Split (if dealt a pair)

As Pontoon is only spread at online casinos, each action the player has available has a button on the screen. Touch it or click it with your mouse to hit, stand, double down, and split.

Hit is when a player would like to draw a card. You may hit until you bust or make a five-card hand.

Stand means the player does not want any more cards. This is not available until the player has 15, or has five cards.

Double down involves the player doubling the original bet and receiving one more card. A player with a pair has the option to split.

A player that makes a five-card hand without busting stands. The only way this hand loses is if the dealer also makes a five-card hand.

The dealer draws to hands up to 16 and soft 17. If the dealer has a hard 17 or any hand of 18 and higher, it stands. It also stops drawing if it makes five cards without busting. The house automatically wins here.

Once the player and dealer have completed the hand, they are compared to each other.

If the dealer has the same point total or higher than the player, the house wins all bets.

If the player makes a five-card hand and the dealer does not, or if the player’s hand is higher than the dealer’s hand, it wins.

A winning five-card hand pays 2-1. All other hands win even money.

After the hand, click the deal button for a new one. To leave, click the menu button on the table.

The strategy for Pontoon is substantially different from a traditional game of blackjack. One reason is that the dealer’s cards are placed face down. Another is the five-card trick paying 2-1. Players may not stand until the hand is at least 15.

Hard Hands

A hard hand does not include an ace, or it has one and can bust.

4 through 7: Always hit
8: Hit on 2 or 3 cards; double down on 4
9: Hit on 2 cards; double down on 3 or 4
10 and 11: Always double down
12 through 14: Hit on 2 or 3 cards; double down on 4
15 and 16: Stand on 2 or 3 cards; double down on 4
17: Stand on 2 or 3 cards; double down on 4
18 and higher: Always stand

A soft hand includes an ace and cannot bust.

Soft 13: Always hit
Soft 14 through 18: Hit on 2 or 3 cards; double down on 4
Soft 19 and 20: Stand on 2 cards; double down on 3 or 4

The only pairs that should be split are eights and aces.

Please refer to the chart below for a visual summary of Pontoon strategy.

Pontoon is spread at most online casinos. RealTime Gaming, Playtech, Betsoft, and Microgaming all spread it.

How To Play Pontoon Cards

This blackjack variant is not available at live casinos. The game by the same name in Australia is more like Spanish 21 and does not resemble this Pontoon at all.