Pontoon is an exciting variation of the popular card game, Blackjack. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide on how to play Pontoon, including its rules, strategies, and bonuses.
What is Pontoon Card Game?
Pontoon, an international version of the popular card game blackjack, is now known as the American variant Blackjack. The addition of shoot pontoon in the game makes wagering more interesting by adding the shoot wagering technique.
How to Play Pontoon Card Game
A minimum of two players are needed to play Pontoon, but it is best played with five to eight players using a standard deck of 52 cards. If there are more players, double decks can be used. Wagers are placed with chips.
The objective of the game is to get a hand total as close to 21 as possible without going over. Here are the basic steps to play Pontoon:
- The game is typically played with a standard 52-card deck, but may include multiple decks.
- Each player is dealt two cards face down, and the dealer also receives two cards, one face down and one face up.
- Players may look at their cards and then decide whether to “stick” (keep their hand as is) or “twist” (take another card) to improve their hand total.
- Players can twist as many times as they want, but if their hand total exceeds 21, they lose automatically.
- Once all players have completed their turns, the dealer reveals their face down card.
- If the dealer’s hand total is 16 or less, they must twist until their hand total is 17 or higher.
- The dealer must stick on a hand total of 17 or higher.
- The player with a hand total closest to 21 without going over wins.
- If the player’s hand total is equal to the dealer’s hand total, it is a tie and the player’s bet is returned.
There are a few additional rules in Pontoon that differ from blackjack, such as a “five card trick” (a hand of five cards totaling 21 or less) which beats all other hands except for a Pontoon (an Ace and a 10 or face card) and a hand of four Aces, which is the second highest hand.
Opting for top online casinos guarantees maximum entertainment while playing Pontoon. The game assigns a value of one or eleven to an ace and ten points to face cards like king, queen, and jack. The remaining number cards retain their face value.
The objective of each hand is to achieve a total value as close to 21 as possible without exceeding it.
The Role of the Pontoon Banker
One player is randomly selected as the banker and the other players place bets to obtain a better hand than the banker’s.
The highest-ranking hand is a pontoon with an ace and a face card or a ten value card. A five card trick with a total of 21 or less is the next best hand. A hand with a total of 21 with 3 to 4 cards is ranked lower than pontoon or the five card trick. A hand with a total of 20 or less with at least five cards is ranked better.
Any hand with a total over 21 is discarded as a bust. Choose the best online casinos to experience ultimate entertainment playing pontoon.
Ranking of Pontoon Hands
If the player and banker have an equal total of cards, the player loses the hand.
At the start of the game, the banker deals one face-down card to each player, starting from the left and moving clockwise. Players place their bets, and the highest and lowest bets are determined. Each player must bet at least the minimum.
The dealer then deals a second card to each player, and they calculate their total. If the banker has a pontoon, they win and collect twice the amount of all players’ bets.
If it is your turn to play, you can request additional cards to improve the total value of your hand. This round starts with the player seated to the left of the banker and moves clockwise, giving all players a chance to improve their hand if they choose to do so.
If you have an ace and a ten card, declare “pontoon” by placing the ace face up and the ten card face down. If you have two cards of equal value, split them by placing them both face up and placing a new wager equal to your original wager.
The banker will then provide each hand with an additional card, allowing you to play with two separate hands. If the new card is also of equal value, you can split again for a total of four separate hands with separate wagers. Note that you cannot split ten-point cards unless they are of the same value.
Ties in Pontoon
If both the banker and player get the same total of cards, the player loses the hand.
Final Words on Pontoon card Game
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