Pontoon (RTP 99,60 %)
Pontoon – The Blackjack Variant with More Win Potential
When it comes to the term Pontoon, the first thing which pops up in our minds is some sort of water floating device. However, Pontoon is a card game too, and in fact one of many variants of Blackjack. The original is immensely popular with table players, but just few of these have heard about Pontoon and even fewer have played it. In this article, we will point to the differences between Pontoon and its more famous big brother that could convince table enthusiasts to this variant and which strategy is the best for the game.
Pontoon vs. Blackjack
In general, Pontoon is played the same ways as Blackjack. If you don’t know Blackjack rules, it would be recommended to read first an article about the original version of Blackjack.
Just like in Blackjack, the goal in Pontoon is to get a stronger hand than the dealer with a set of minimum two cards. The value of the cards is unchanged with the ace counting as 1 or 10, the 10 to K royals counting as 10 and the remaining cards counting according to the value on the card.
How to play Pontoon?
The best hand is a combination of a ten-valued card and an ace, totalling 21 with two cards. This is commonly known as Blackjack, but in Pontoon the name is, well, Pontoon. Up this point the there is no difference between the variant and the original. Commonly used terms in Ponton are ‘twist’ instead of ‘hit’ and ‘buy’ instead of doubling down.
In Pontoon as in Blackjack, the total card value of 21 is the desired number, however, the variant has an additional extra hand called ‘5-card trick’. The aim is that the player or the dealer are dealt five cards without going over 21. This hand wins over all other hands except Pontoon and is clearly one extra spice added to the gameplay.
Let’s take a look at those rules which are different to Blackjack and are favouring the player:
This is a remarkable advantage to player. Even a poor hand can turn out to be a winner due to the 5-card trick. A tie is called when the dealer is hitting five cards as well, which means the dealer wins. Sure, frustrating but the chances for it to happen are rather small, mainly because dealers have to stand on a soft 18 while the player can carry on.
The dealer’s cards are always checked for Pontoon before a player is dealt more cards and thus it is impossible for the dealer to beat the player with a Pontoon.
Plus, scoring a Pontoon while the dealer busts or ends at a lower value, will always pay a win of 3x the stake.
Plus, players are allowed to take more cards after doubling down. In Blackjack, double down is allowed once only after two cards are dealt and players might end up with a poor hand. On the other hand, Pontoon allows to follow the evolving situation and adjust the strategy accordingly before calling out for a double down.
No double down is possible when five cards or a hard 21 have been dealt. In general, Pontoon offers players more and better opportunities to double their stake. Often, players are facing the situation were four cards have been dealt and a bust is not possible with the fifth card, e.g. hard 10 (2-3-3-2) or soft 20 (A-2-3-4). At this point a win is almost certain unless the dealer gets really lucky and forces a tie.
A special case occurs in Pontoon when a player has drawn four cards and the total value stands at 15 or 16. Contrary to Blackjack, it is favourable to double down at this point. This is based to the fact that when a player has for example 16, (s)he has 5/13 change to get a 5-card trick with doubled stake. And the reward is triple times stake while the probability for success is over 1/3. Plus, standing at that value would leave the player weaker hand in the hope for the dealer to bust. Winning a normal have will also pay less without doubling down.
Where aces have been split and a 10-value card is dealt, a Pontoon win with 3x the stake is paid. Players can also draw more cards after splitting aces.
In general, the importance of splitting is smaller in Pontoon than in Blackjack. Only eights and aces should be split. The splitting of aces is a favourable situation, because split aces with an added 10-valued card combines to Pontoon, whereas split aces with small card gives players a good chance for a 5-card trick. Practically, 10-10 can be split too but this not the optimal strategy.
Players can re-split after splitting once but it is limited to one time per hand.
Pontoon is of course not all advantageous for players. Following are some rules which favour the dealer:
This is the most negative thing in Pontoon. The player loses tied hands, even with a straight Pontoon, 5-card trick or 21 the soon a dealer gets the same result. This means for example that 17 is as bad as any smaller amount. The most frustrating moment is when a player has a strong hand and the dealer then rakes all with a push.
Player have to rely on their gut feeling and simply play their own game. It simplifies the use of the optimal strategy and choices are just based on the own cards as well as the total of them. Of course, having knowledge means power but in Pontoon players have to simply deal with the unknown.
In some rare cases this can help to save the player, but in reality this rule causes more losses and in the worst case scenario can lead to a dealer 5-card trick. The same rule is as well in affect in some other variations of Blackjack.
The rule is not as bad as it sounds because on 14 and not knowing the dealer’s hand won’t give you much to judge your next step. Of course, a doubled down hand can be lost when for example a players doubles 10 and gets A-3 as next card and thus has to take more.
PLAY PONTOON
The Volatility and RTP (Return to Player) in Pontoon
Blackjack is usually considered as the best casino game when players simply want to relax and have some fun on a table with the smallest possible theoretical losses when it comes to the Expected Value (EV). What you really want is a game where the house edge as small as possible. There might be not always a choice as Pontoon is not widely spread in land based or live online casinos. However, online casinos often have Pontoon in their table games section, which offers players a higher RTP (Return To Player) percentage than normal Blackjack. The latter is usually at 99.60% in a best case scenarios while Pontoon can reach 99.70 – 99.80% when using the optimal strategy.
Pontoon has just like most tables games a low volatility, making it possible to player longer without using all moneys, and that although stakes to by higher than playing slots. It is however higher than in the standard version of Blackjack, offering a good mid-variance option between Blackjack and slots. The higher variance is caused by these rule fixes mentioned earlier in this article.
When to Play Pontoon
Well, getting bored of standard Blackjack is one reason as the extra variations will add spice to the gaming experience. Bigger winds and the 5-card hunt make the famous game more attractive and also adds reason to play Pontoon.
Players using bonuses at online casinos can increase their advantage when playing Pontoon. For example, a forfeitable or cashback bonus where players look for big wins right from the start. The extra payouts in Pontoon compared to standard Blackjack heightens the chance to achieve that. Plus, the higher variance and the increased EV due to the bigger RTP will also play a role. At some online casinos, the wagering contribution for Blackjack is lower than for Pontoon, making it again a good choice to beat the bonus.
The Optimal Strategy of Pontoon
Optimal strategy tables are widespread on the internet and it is strongly recommended to use them when playing Pontoon. The difference between own “this feels right”-guess and calculated decision can be very big in some situations. Here are some key tips from the optimal strategy:
- With 2 cards: double down on 10 or 11; in other hard hand cases hit when at 14 or less and stand 15+; always hit on soft hands.
- With 3 cards: double down (if possible) on 9, 10, 11, soft 19, soft 20, soft 21. In other hard hand cases hit when 14 or less and stand 15+. Always hit soft hands except on doubled soft 21 (stand).
- With 4 cards: always double down on 16 or less or hand is soft, hit on 17.
- Split: always split just eights and aces