Pontoon is a UK casino game that is almost identical to Blackjack. The only real difference is that the game is played with eight decks instead of one. As is true of Blackjack, the hand with the highest total wins as long as it doesn’t exceed 21. The goal is still to beat the dealer but sometimes bonuses are offered online casinos if your hand is natural 21. Even though true Pontoon is played with eight decks don’t be surprised if you find casinos online that play it using six or less decks as well. This is one of those bingo games, whose origins have been lost in a number of permutations over the ages,
A hand that has a higher total than 21 is a “bust.” Cards 2 through 10 are worth their face value, and face cards (Jack, Queen, King) are also worth 10. An ace's value is 11 or 1. A hand in which an ace's value is counted as 11 is called a “soft hand” just like in Blackjack. In Pontoon, if the player busts, he loses. This is true even if the dealer also busts. This is how the online casino makes money. If the player's and the dealer's hands have the same point value, this is known as a "push", and neither the UK bingo player or the dealer wins the hand.
After initial bets are placed, the casino dealer gives two cards to each player, including himself.
A two-card hand of 21 (an ace plus a ten-value card) is called a "blackjack" even though historically blackjack was not really achieved in a game of Pontoon unless it comprised a “21” created from a black jack and ace (from the suits of clubs or spades.) A player with a natural is usually paid 3:2 on his bet, although recently many online uk casinos started paying only 6:5 on a blackjack. After the cards are dealt, if the dealer has a blackjack, all the players lose immediately. If a player has a blackjack and the dealer doesn't, the player wins automatically. If the player and dealer both have a blackjack, it's a push.
The player's options for playing his or her hand are:
Hit: Take another card.
Stand: Take no more cards.
Double down: Double the wager, take exactly one more card, and then stand.
Split: Double the wager and have each card be the first card in a new hand. This option is available only when both cards have the same value.
Surrender: Forfeit half the bet and give up the hand. Surrender used to be common in live casinos and it is rarely offered in an online casino.
After all the players have finished making their decisions, the dealer then reveals his last card. House rules say that the dealer must hit until he or she has at least 17, regardless of what the players have. In most casinos a dealer must also hit a soft 17 (such as an ace and a 6). Usually the online casino rules inform you whether or not the house hits or stands on a soft 17.
