The Pontoon blackjack (or pontoon in Australian) is a variant of Blackjack from Australia whose popularity has increased a lot over the years. In fact, there are still 2 variants of the Pontoon: the Australian version and the British version.
If you have already visited a land casino in Australia or Great Britain, you probably already know the Blackjack Pontoon. This variant of the game looks like classic blackjack with few differences.
We wrote this page especially for those who wish to play (or learn how to play) at one of the two variants of Blackjack Pontoon.
Best Pontoon Online Casinos
The rules of Blackjack Pontoon
Even though the pontoon rules look like blackjack, there are some differences to note. Here are the rules:
- The croupier cards are distributed hidden
- The draft of the third is mandatory when your hand is worth 14 or less
- You are allowed to separate a pair of AS but you remain obliged to pull an extra card if your hand is worth less than 15.
- In the case of equality, the dealer / house is winning.
- You are allowed to make a late abandonment.
- All cards whose value is invalid.
- The Pontoon (one hand 21) earns immediately.
- If you separate identical cards, you are obliged to bet even equal to your initial bet.
- You can only double the hands worth 9, 10 or 11.
Here is a demo of the game:
Pontoon Australien
As mentioned, there are 2 types of pontoon whose rules are different slightly. The Australian variant of Pontoon is usually played in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore. This variant looks a lot like Spanish Blackjack, the variant of the American game.
The Australian Pontoon is played with 48 cards whose facial values of 10 are invalidated completed. This rule makes it a bit difficult to make a blackjack. Nevertheless, there are several other interesting rules to compensate.
For example, you are allowed to separate your hand 3 times. In addition, a pontoon (hand 21) pays 3 against 2.
British Pontoon
The British version of Pontoon is draws its origins from the Australian game 21. The game offers rules similar to those of 21 with few differences. The goal of the British Pontoon is the same as that of other variants of blackjack - to beat the dealer's hand without exceeding 21.
British Pontoon Blackjack is played with 52 standard cards. The values of each cards remain the same as those of classic blackjack. The AS are worth 1 or 11, the figures are worth 10 and the remains like their facial value. In this variant, the croupier cards are also hidden, a condition that is handicap for players.
Pontoon Basic Strategy
The basic strategy at Pontoon is a little different than that of original blackjack because of 10 missing. As the Rules of the Australian Pontoon look like those of Spanish Blackjack, the basic strategy is also similar. Find below the Pontoon's basic strategy that will help you increase your chances of winning in a online casino.
La Terminology De Pontoon
One of the main differences between the Pontoon and the Blackjack original is the use of terms to designate actions. Here are some lexicons used at the Pontoon table.
- Twist - In Blackjack, this action is known as " Hit" It's when you tell the dealer that you want to shoot another card.
- Stick – Or "stand" in classic blackjack, is when you stay on your game and do not want to pull an extra card.
- Double down/Buy - It's when you double your hand. At Pontoon, you can double with more than 2 cards.
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