For many online casino enthusiasts, playing casino card games online is certainly faster, easier and less hassle than visiting a live casino. When you play online, you never have to wait for an available table to start playing. You can play any card game at any time for free or for real money using MasterCard or other available option. This is how many people have come to play online pontoon. If you are unfamiliar with the game, chances are you know it as blackjack or 21. Pontoon is a slightly different version of blackjack with British terminology and a few rule changes. In the notes below we are going to explain how you can go about playing this exciting game online.
The Basics of Pontoon
As with classic blackjack, online pontoon is a fairly simple game to understand. Players use their cards to get as close to 21 as possible without going over 21. The game begins by a player placing his bet on the table. The player is then dealt two cards. This is where the first difference comes in. With blackjack, the dealer is dealt two cards with one facing up. Player’s blackjack strategy rests mainly on the dealers showing card. With pontoon, a player never knows what cards the dealer has until the flip. Once the cards are dealt, a player has the option to stand, twist (hit), split or buy (double down). In online pontoon, card suits are irrelevant. Cards 2 to 10 have face value while Jacks, queens and kings are worth 10 points. Aces can have a value of either 1 or 11. If you are happy with your two cards, you can choose to stand and see if the dealer can beat you hand.
Winning a Hand
For those classic blackjack fans, there are a few rules that should be noted when you play online pontoon. In pontoon, a “five-card trick” is any non-busted hand with five cards. A five-card trick, regardless of its numerical value, beats any hand except a pontoon and pays out 2 to 1. A player must twist on any hand up to 14. The player may also buy or split, but he cannot stick. On any hand of 15 or above, the player has free will to play his hand as he wishes. In pontoon the dealer must twist on any hand up to 16, and must stick on any hand of 17 or more, including soft 17.
Betting in Pontoon
When you play online pontoon, if you feel you have a low scoring hand, you can request an additional card by clicking on the “twist (hit)” button. If your first two cards match, you can choose to split the cards into two separate hands. You can choose to split twice and have up to three hands at one time. After your first two cards have been dealt, you can also choose to buy (double down) which means your bet will be doubled and an additional card will be dealt. In online pontoon, if the player scores higher than the dealer, the player wins his bet. If the dealer scores higher than the player, the player loses his bet. If the player and dealer tie, the dealer wins the hand. If both the player and the dealer bust, the dealer wins the player’s bet.