Most players I’ve come across are only familiar with the general variety played. But, that’s not all there is. Blackjack is a diverse game with a rich history. As such, they are different variations of the game-even if subtle ones.Before playing any game of Blackjack (or any casino game) it’s important to know the rules and the payouts. Nothing could be worse than having a huge bet out there and being told that you can’t do something, like split Aces and hit. That’s the pits. Know the game before you play. Ask if you must. Online Blackjack is easier, because all the rules are usually just a click away. And the rules are vital if you plan on playing some sort of system. Not all systems are universal.

1. Difference Blackjack And Pontoon Boat
2. Difference Blackjack And Pontoon Boats

There are a few basic differences between Pontoon and a regular game of blackjack. Higher number of decks results in a decrease in the house edge. Both the dealer’s cards are dealt face-down. The dealer peeks for pontoon once his cards are dealt. Difference Between Blackjack Games Blackjack is a popular casino game with more than 100 variations thanks to which you can experience it in a completely different way and enjoy it like never before. Just like in Blackjack, the main goal in Pontoon is to get a hand of 21 or as close as possible to it. To beat the dealer, you must not exceed 21. You place a bet and receive two cards face-up while the dealer gets their cards face-down. As for card rankings, they are the same in both games with Aces counted as 1 or 11.

Land Based Casino Variants

European Blackjack – It’s played with two decks. Unlike some places on the Las Vegas Strip (unless they offer this variation), the dealer must stand on a soft 17. Oh, and here’s a big difference. You can only double down on 9 and 11. That’s right. So, if you have an Ace and an 8 with the dealer showing a 6, you can’t double.For most people, this limitation is no big deal. But, it can be tough to swallow for the more aggressive player. Another aggressive player killer is the fact that you can’t double down after a split no matter what. In this version of Blackjack, the house has a 0.39% advantage.

Atlantic City Blackjack – This version of Blackjack is always played with eight decks via a shoe. As with Euro Blackjack, the dealer must stand on soft 17. And that’s how Downtown Las Vegas plays it too. Splitting is allowed, but only up to three hands. And you can double on the first two cards after splitting too.

Another interesting option is late surrender, which is allowed in the Atlantic City version. The house advantage is slightly lower at 0.35%.

Double Exposure Blackjack, which is a crowd favorite-at least at first. You can see both dealer cards. Easy win right? Not so fast. The dealer wins all ties. Yep, no pushes, you just lose. It’s the price to pay for knowing what the dealer has.Another feature that I don’t personally like is Blackjack payouts only paying even money. There’s no bonus at all, which kind of ruins the game for me. The game is played with a shoe that holds 8 decks and the dealer hits on soft 17.Even though the dealer shows both cards, the house advantage nearly doubles the previous two versions we talked about. It’s 0.69%.

Blackjack Switch adds a new element to the classic Blackjack casino game; card swtiching. The object of the game is the same: obtain a total card count higher than that of the dealer without going over 21. However, now you can switch cards between your two hands in an attempt to get a better hand and improve your chances of winning. First you make two bets of equal size and are then dealt two hands instead of the normal one. You then have the option of switching the second card dealt to each hand. With a bit of luck, better hands are created and you win. Because of the increased odds of winning, if the dealer has 22 a push is declared and Blackjack pays even money (1:1) instead of the normal 3:2.

Pontoon is a British version of the traditional blackjack that is also very popular at all online and land casinos. Regular player options in Pontoon have other names than in classic blackjack.“Twist” — Hit (ask for another card). In Pontoon you are to Twist if your hand is less than 15 (unless your hand is a 5 card one).“Stick” — Stand (stop and ask for no more cards). “Buy” — Double down, with a small difference, that favours the player:

Player can Buy on any hand which is of 2 to 4 cards;

Player can Twist after he Buys (not met in traditional blackjack).

A hand of an Ace and 10-value card is a Pontoon not a blackjack.

1. Pontoon allows you to split all Ten valued cards even if it is Jack and King etc. A combination of Ace and ten even after a Split is counted as a Pontoon and pays out 2 to 1. If you split Aces you get only one card per hand and can not Draw.
2. In case of a tie (dealer and a player have the equal amount) the dealer wins instead of a push.
3. Any 5 card hand that does not bust is called a “Five Card Trick” and pays 2 to 1. This hand does not beat a Pontoon but beats all the other hands.
4. You can double only one time per each hand, but the hand of 2-4 cards. In a hand before doubling an Ace counts as 1 that is why players are not advised to double on soft hands.
5. Dealer hits on soft 17 (Ace and 6).
6. Player can surrender only if the dealer has an Ace or a Face card.

These are the most common variation for the classic game of 21, but rest assured that casinos are always looking for new ways to attract players and offering new rules and whacky bonuses always keeps the public interested.

Super Fun 21

Rules of Super Fun 21 Blackjack

Each player gets two cards face up and the dealer’s cards are one face up and one face down.
The dealer hits on soft 17. Each player may split to 4 times and is allowed to double down at anytime with any number of cards, even after he splits.

Players can re-split Aces and 10-valued cards are also allowed to re-split.
Surrendering is also allowed at any time with any number of cards even after splitting or doubling down.

If the player has blackjack, he always wins, even against the dealer’s blackjack.
If a player has a hand of 6 or more cards that total 20 like – 2♣ 3♦ 2♠ 3♥ 4♦ 5♠ or less he beats the dealer even if he has a blackjack.

Any 5 or more — card player hand that totals 21 like 2♣ 3♦ 4♠ K♥ A♠ pays off 2:1.
A Diamond blackjack (Jack and Ace of diamonds) pays 2:1

However, no casino would create a game that is in favor of the player all the time. This game has its pitfalls. Player blackjack (except for diamond blackjack) pays even money.

Remember, any game strategy especially the blackjack basic strategy for Super Fun 21 means not only playing to win but also having a lot of fun while you gamble. So which games give you the best chances? The ones with the lowest house edge. See the chart below (edge calculated for 6 deck games).

Online Casino Variants

Match Play 21 – Match play 21 uses a “Spanish deck”, which instead of the standard 52-card deck of cards, consists of a 48 card deck (with the four 10 cards removed). This means fewer blackjacks occur, though it also means more “match play 21s” are possible.

A “match play 21” hand pays out a whopping 40 to 1. As you can imagine, it’s going to have to be a rare hand for such a payout. The match-play 21 requires you to receive a suited 7-7-7 while the dealer is holding a 7, too. You might be wondering how you can receive a suited 777, but match-play 21 usually uses 4 decks of (48) cards.

These aren’t the only additional payouts, of course. If you receive an unsuited 777 hand, you’ll not only get a likely win from a 21, but you’ll be paid an additional smaller payout. Same color 777s pay out a little bit more.

BJ and Perfect Pairs – “BJ & Perfect Pairs” has its odd name because it’s classic blackjack with a “perfect pairs” side bet. When you make the side bet, you get paid out more if your two dealt cards are a matching pair. Any unmatched pair (of suit or color) pays out at 5:1. If you have a pair that’s the same color, but not the same suit, you receive a 10:1 payout. A hand that contains a pair of the same suit pays out at 30:1. The suited pair can happen because you’re playing BJ & perfect pairs with a multi-deck that’s actually several decks of cards shuffled together.

Face Up 21 – Face Up 21 is just another name for double exposure blackjack. Both the dealer’s cards are dealt face up, so you know exactly what kind of odds you’re facing. At the same time, the player loses any tie, so the house maintains their edge. In fact, the house edge in face-up 21 is slightly higher than it is in classic blackjack: about 0.20% higher. Those are still going to be some of the best odds a player is going to see in most online casino environments.

Pontoon 21 – Pontoon is the name given to a ace-10 twenty-one in this British variant of twenty-one. The pontoon is the best hand you can build in the game. The 5-card trick is the second-best hand. A five-card trick is any 5 cards which don’t exceed 21. It doesn’t matter if these cards equal 16, 20, or 21–all of them complete the five-card trick. On the other hand, all ties go to the dealer in pontoon, so keep that in mind. On the good side of things, blackjacks (pontoons) pay off at 2-to-1 ratio, instead of the traditional 3-to-2.

Super 21 – Super 21 blackjack is quite similar to the game known as Super-fun 21 blackjack at other land-based casinos. This game has a five-card trick and a six-card trick, but only pays out at 1:1 on a blackjack. On the plus side, one can double on any number of cards and surrender is also allowed.

Zappit Blackjack – Zappit Blackjack is only found at Bovada. It is a traditional blackjack game with one very major rule change. A player that is dealt a 15, 16 or 17 may discard both cards and draw a new hand. Players should always trade for a new hand when 15, 16 and 17 are dealt. In exchange for this player friendly rule, the house pushes if the dealer draws 22 on any hand. Players may double down on any two cards and after splitting. Blackjack pays 3-2 but zapped blackjacks only pay even money.

You can find where these blackjack variants and others are being offered by visiting our “Blackjack Rules & Conditions” page and searching the notes column on our charts.

Before you make bets with your hard-earned cash in a casino, why not practice? Playing these games won’t cost you a penny if you lose. When you’re confident in your playing ability you can always switch to real money. Bovada’s practice games are the best because there’s no waiting for casino software downloads and no dealing with a lengthy registration. You can have fun and play blackjack online instantly without giving them any information. Experience what true leisure online gaming is all about. One click and you’re in action. Choose a game below…

Difference Blackjack And Pontoon Boat

Pontoon is one of the most interesting derivatives of blackjack, and also one of the most advantageous casino games for the players. Compared to other blackjack variations, it has a pretty low house edge, of course depending on the casino where you choose to play at.

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In this review, we’ll take a look at the rules for playing Playtech’s version of Pontoon in specific. There are Pontoon games offered by other software providers, but they have lower theoretical RTP than Playtech’s variation. Therefore, your best choice for playing Pontoon online for real money is to pick a casino powered by this specific software house. But before we continue with this review in detail, let’s have a quick overview of the rules of the game.

• Basic Game Rules
• Return to Player: 99.64% Pontoon pays: 2 to 1
• Decks: 8
• Insurance: No
• Multihand: Yes
• Side bets: No
• Surrender: No

• Split and Double Rules
• Split: any pair
• Resplit: Up to 3 hands
• Double: any two cards
• Double after split: Yes
• Hit split aces: Yes

• Dealer Rules
• Hits: soft 17
• Peeks for Blackjack: yes
• Special Game Rules: Both dealer cards are face down. 5-Card Charlie rule. When push, dealer wins.

• Bonus: 100% up to £150
• Bonus code: not required
• Wagering contribution: 5%
• Software:Playtech
• Link:Try now William Hill

How to Play Pontoon?

As we already mentioned, Pontoon is a variation of blackjack and as such it features a lot of elements of the classic casino game, from the table layout to the basic rules, but also some substantial differences. In the game of Pontoon, just like in classic blackjack, your goal is to have a hand that totals 21 or at least one that’s higher than the dealer’s. All cards count as their natural numbers and aces count as 1 or 11. A hand consisting of an ace and a ten-valued card is the highest hand, called Pontoon, and it pays 2:1. This is actually the first difference with most blackjack variations, as that hand usually pays 3:2.

As far as the table layout goes, Playtech’s Pontoon has five betting slots which means that you can play with up to five hands at the same time. The betting limits at most Playtech casinos for this game start at £1 and reach as high as £100 which is a relatively good bet range. I personally also like that the user can turn on ‘fast play’ at this table – an option that is particularly handy when you’re wagering a bonus. Another particularity of the table itself is that you have the option to change its color from the standard green to blue, purple, black, orange, blue-green, white and red. Though this is a purely superficial option and has nothing to do with the gameplay itself, it gives the users the opportunity to further optimise the table to their liking.

Now, to the more important options. The game starts after you’ve placed your bet (or bets, if you’ve chosen to play multi-hand). When you click on the ‘Deal Button’ you will be given two cards face up while the dealer will get two cards face down (another difference with classic blackjack where only one of the dealer’s cards is facing down). After the cards are dealt, you’ll have to choose your move depending on the hand you got: hit (receive another card), stand (accept your hand as it is), double your bet and receive another card or split if your two card have the same rank. Note that you cannot stand until you have a hand totaling 15 or more.

Another interesting rule in Pontoon is that you can hit after double. In all blackjack variations I’ve played and reviewed so far, when you double you only get one additional card and then it’s the dealer’s turn. Of course, this means that in this respect, Pontoon is more advantageous than other blackjack variations. Two rules that make up for that are definitely that there’s no insurance option in Pontoon and that when you have the same hand value as the dealer’s, the dealer wins, as opposed to you getting your initial bet back.

There are a few more advantageous rules in Pontoon, one of which is that if you get an ace and a ten after a split, the new hand will be counted as Pontoon as opposed to a regular one. The other important rule that gives the players a great edge is that a Five Card Charlie (also called Five Card Trick), i.e. a hand lower than or equal to 21 consisting of five cards, beats all hands except Pontoon and on top of that pays 2:1.

As in any other blackjack variation, in Pontoon there are not only rules for the players but for the dealers as well. First of all, even before the player makes their move, the dealer peaks for Pontoon. Then, there’s the rule that the dealer is obliged to hit any hand with a total of 16 or lower and a soft seventeen. And finally, as I already mentioned, when there’s a tie, the dealer wins.

Theoretical Return-to-Player Percentage

As we all well know, the house edge of every blackjack variation depends on the rules of the specific game. Some rules decrease the house edge and are therefore advantageous for the player while others increase it. In Playtech’s Pontoon, there are several rules increase the house edge. First of all, the fact that this card game is played with 8 decks gives the house an advantage of 0.65%. Then, there’s the ‘dealer hits soft seventeen’ rule which further increases the house edge with 0.22%. Other rules that reflect negatively on the return-to-player percentage are the fact that you can resplit once, that the dealer peeks for blackjack and that there are no insurance nor surrender options. But the most devastating rule of all is the one stating that in the case of a tie, the dealer wins which alone increases the house edge by the 8.8%! Worry not, though, because the game also has its fair share of rules that are advantageous for the player.

Let’s start with the fact that a Pontoon (i.e. a blackjack) pays 2:1 which alone increases the house edge by 2.27%. Then there are the doubling rules: you gain 0.23% advantage because of the fact that you can double on any number of cards and further 0.14% because you can double after split. One of the most advantageous rules is also the Five Card Charlie rule which alone decreases the house edge with 1.46%.

Another set of rules that are very advantageous for the player are the ones regarding splitting aces. First of all, in Pontoon, you are allowed to hit split aces which increases the advantage of the player by 0.19%. Then there’s the rule that you can double after splitting aces which decreases the house advantage by 0.15% and the rule that you can resplit aces which gives you an advantage of further 0.08%.

At the end of the day, when you calculate the impact of the specific rules on the house edge of the game, you’ll receive a return-to-player percentage for Pontoon that is 99.64%, i.e. the game has a house edge of a mere 0.36% which is one of the lowest you can find at online casinos, as well as at land-based ones, for that matter.

Pontoon Basic Strategy

As you may notice yourself, the strategy chart for Pontoon looks quite different than the usual blackjack basic strategy chart. This is due to the fact that in Pontoon you cannot see any of the dealer’s cards and, therefore, you have to base your decision purely on the chances of your hand alone. Additionally, due to the Five Card Charlie rule, it is of great importance how many cards you hold, as the more they are, the bigger are your chances for a win and often it is worth it even to double down. So here it is, the basic strategy chart for the card game Pontoon by Playtech which can secure you a return-to-player percentage of 0.36%:

Interesting Welcome Offers for Playing Pontoon

If you want to play Playtech’s Pontoon for real money, there are quite a few casinos that you can choose from. After all, Playtech is the most widely adopted casino software and there are hundreds upon hundreds of operators that use their platform. Still, even though the game is virtually the same no matter where you choose to play it, some casinos offer you more promotions and more generous bonuses which you can use to play even more. Here are our top 4 choices:

An important fact that you should know about those casinos is that at all of them, Pontoon contributes toward the wagering requirement at a rate of only 5%. This is more than usual because that’s to a great extent a game of strategy and doesn’t hold the same risks as some other casino games like slots for example. Anyway, with a perfect strategy and some bonus cash to play with, you might actually have a great chance to end up with a win.

Difference Blackjack And Pontoon Boats

Playtech’s Pontoon – A Game to Try

Pontoon is one of the most interesting and also convenient blackjack derivatives out there. Though some of the rules are quite unusual for most blackjack variations, this card game offers you the same perks as the classic 21, like a low house edge and the chance to use strategy and not only depend on your luck. This is definitely a game to try!