Strategy for How to Play Pontoon

Strategy for Pontoon: Pontoon is a British version card game of American Blackjack with a twist. In this blog, we talk about the similarities of pontoon to blackjack, definitions, strategy, rules, betting and best online casinos to practice and play the game. by Melissa S. at Gambling Guru

Shortcuts to Various Sections Covered:

 

1. What is Pontoon	5. What is a "Split"	9. Dealers Hand Stand on 17s
2. Value of Ace and Face Cards	6. When is the best time to "Split"	10. Pontoon Payouts
3. What is "Twist"	7. What is "Stick"	11. Basic Strategy Guide Chart for Pontoon
4. What is "Buy"	8. What is a Five Card Trick

Defining Pontoon: Understanding is Half the Battle to a Win

Test Your Skills at Pontoon - Free No Deposit Bonus for New Players

Example of a Pontoon

1. What is Pontoon Pontoon is pretty much similar to American blackjack where the goal is to get a hand closest to 21 without going over and busting. One of the things to remember about pontoon is that there are no 10s in the game, so all decks played in the game contain 48 cards each. Also, depending on the casino, majority of casinos will have both hands faced down while others may have one up with one card face down.
   
   The best possible hand to have is called a Pontoon which is having ten value card and an Ace with payouts of 2 to 1. If the banker has a Pontoon, the banker wins regardless of what other players maybe holding. Besides having a pontoon the next best hands are the “Five Card Trick” for the second best hand and then a 21 hand with 3 or 4 cards for the third best hand. Ties from players to the banker, also defaults to the banker as the winner.
   
   In Pontoon, players are given the option to “Buy”, “Twist”, ”Split” and “Stick”. If a players hand is 14 or less, players are forced to take another card with a “Buy” or “Twist”.
2. Value of Ace Card and Face Cards Just like American blackjack, the Ace card value is either 1 or 11 and face cards values are 10’s.
3. What is a “Twist”
   Twist is the same as selecting Hit in blackjack, where the player is given the option of receiving additional cards. When choosing “Twist”, no additional bets can be made..
4. What is a "Buy"
   Buy is when a player chooses to make an additional bet anytime during the game while receiving an additional card at the same time. The number times of “Buys” will vary for different casinos. The bet made must be the same amount wagered from the beginning of the game.
5. What is a "Split"
   Split is when a player divides their hand into two hands from having two of the same card value (eg. 10/10, Q/Q, 5/5). A player is required to make the same exact wager as the beginning of the game as the newly made hand..
6. When is the best time to "Split"
   

   The best time a player should split is when there are a pair of 8s or Aces. Aces are a personal preference for the player, as having two Aces gives a player the opportunity to achieve a Five Card Trick easier with only needing three more cards to total 21 or less.

   Sponsored by

7. What is a "Stick"
   “Stick” is the same as “Stay or Stand” in blackjack, where a player wishes to keep their hand without wanting any additional cards.
8. What is a Five Card Trick
   

   

   Example of Five Card Trick

   The Five Card Trick is the second best hand in the game of pontoon. Whenever a player or dealer accumulates five cards of 21 or lower, they win the hand if no pontoon is made. Five Card Tricks payouts are 2 to 1.
9. Dealers Hand Stand on 17s
   A dealer will always stand his hand on hard 17s. Depending on the casino, some will stand on soft 17s or twist on 17s. It is a good idea to find out the houses rules on soft 17s.
10. Pontoon Payouts
    

    Players Hand Pay Out Pontoon 2 to 1 5 Card Trick 2 to 1 Tie Dealer Wins All Other Winning Hands 1 to 1

    Home Business?

11. Basic Strategy Guide Chart for Pontoon
    

    Players Value Hand	# of Cards Being in Hand
    	2	3	4
    5-8	Twist	Twist	Buy
    9	Twist	Buy	Buy
    10-11	Buy	Buy	Buy
    12-14	Twist	Twist	Buy
    15-16	Stick	Stick	Buy
    17-20	Stick	Stick	Stick
    A2-A7	Twist	Twist	Buy
    A8-A10	Stick	Stick/Buy	Buy
    A-A	Split/Twist
    8-8	Split

NewDepositors - Welcome Bonus of Up to $/€/£ 1888 !

---

Best Tips to Remember About Pontoon:

1. What is Pontoon
2. When is the best time to "Split"
3. What is a Five Card Trick
4. Pontoon Payouts
5. Basic Strategy Guide Chart for Pontoon

Best Casinos to Play Pontoon

(If you are in firefox and have trouble redirecting to site, please press enter with the url into your address bar)

	Casino	Name	USA/CND	WHERE	RATING	LINK
1		Video Poker Classic	No	Worldwide	9.9	Visit Download
2		Slots Express	No	Worldwide	9.9	Visit Download
3		Pink Lady Casino	No	Worldwide	9.9	Visit Download
4		Best Smiley Casino	No	Asia	9.8	Visit Download
5		Blackjack Club	No	Worldwide	9.7	Visit Download
6		Commodore Casino	No	Worldwide	9.7	Visit Download
7		Sizzling Slots	No	Worldwide	9.7	Visit Download
8		Jeux de Cesar	No	Worldwide	9.4	Visit Download
9		Asia Bet 777	No	Asia	9.7	Visit Download
10		K2 Casino	No	Worldwide	9.4	Visit Download