Pontoon is a blackjack variety that is very popular among Asian players, but has just as many fans in Britain and all across Europe. It bears many similarities to other types of blackjack, such as Spanish 21 and uses largely the same rules as the classic game. The game is played with one or more 52 cards decks and uses special terms, such as “twist” for “hit”, “stick” for “stand” and “buy” for doubling the bet.

Players are still supposed to come as close as possible to a grand total of 21 without going bust when playing at Pontoon online casinos.

Unlike classic blackjack, in this game the dealer doesn’t have a hole card which means that players have no way to determine if the dealer has blackjack. Furthermore, players can double or split bets and lose all the wagers if the dealer has a natural blackjack.

 The Perks of Pontoon Online Casinos

Classic blackjack is preferred by many people who enjoy table games because of the low house edge. When playing the Pontoon variety at online casinos players need to know exactly how the slightly different rules affect this edge. The fact that an Ace always counts as one in a pre-double hand benefits the player greatly and largely offsets the disadvantages. Overall, players who use perfect strategy still have to cope with a house edge of less than 1% which is better than most online casino games.

At the same time, they are not allowed to draw when they split aces and at some online casinos there are further limitations on splitting hands. Players can only surrender when the dealer holds a face card or an Ace, with the latter always hitting on soft 17. In most cases the standard terms are used when playing Pontoon, but players should also get familiar with the special terms to avoid confusion.