 Pontoon sports an awesome twist on Blackjack. You play against the dealer and try to score closer to 21 points without wiping out. However, in this adaptation, you face a gnarly challenge because both dealer cards are hidden! You only have your two cards and blind instinct to decide your next move. Take a hit, stand, double down, or split your hand and hope the tides turn in your favour!
Pontoon Explained:
In Pontoon, you are dealt two cards face up and the dealer is dealt two cards face down. The goal of Pontoon is to get closer to 21 points than the dealer without going over 21 points.
A "Pontoon" is a hand that totals 21 points with two cards. A total of 21 points with three or more cards is not considered Pontoon. A Pontoon is ranked higher than all other hands. The second, highest-ranking hand is a Five-Card Trick. A Five-Card Trick is a hand of five cards totalling 21 points or less.
Point Values:
Cards 2 through 10 = face value
Face Cards = 10 points
Aces = 1 point or 11 points, whichever makes a better hand
Example: 6 + Ace = 7 points or 17 points
To Play:
Click chips to place a bet within table limits or click Rebet Click Deal Click Hit, Stand, Double, or Split Continue to click Hit until you Stand, Double, bust, or until the dealer busts
Hitting - You can hit up to five times. Standing - You must have five cards or a total of 15 points to Stand. Doubling - You can only double one time on the same hand. Splitting - You can split any pair. When you split, you must place an additional bet on the new hand that is equal to your ante. You can continue to hit for each hand. A two-card hand totaling 21 after splitting aces is considered Pontoon. You can play up to three hands at once.
To Win (meet one):
Your hand is closer to 21 points than the dealer's hand and does not exceed 21 points.
The dealer's hand exceeds 21 points while your hand does not exceed 21 points.
IMPORTANT - Dealer wins all ties.
How the Dealer Plays:
Dealer Hits on any hard total of 16 or less
Dealer Stands on any hard total of 17 or more
Dealer Hits on any soft total of 17 or less
Dealer Stands on any soft total of 18 or more
Dealer Stands on a 5-card hand with any total
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