Monthly Archives: March 2016

Playing Online Pontoon

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If you normally play online blackjack then pontoon could be a great new game to try if you want something similar to your favorite game but just a little different, if only to spice things up. All of the best US blackjack sites and online casinos will offer standard online and possibly mobile blackjack but they will also, more than likely, offer other blackjack variants, including pontoon. Here we take a closer look at pontoon, explaining how to play and in what ways it is similar to, and also different from, standard blackjack.

Before we look into the game, let us start by clarifying what we mean by pontoon, as in many countries the word usually refers to a game that is actually more like what we in the States call Spanish 21. All of these games are very similar and are linked through a common ancestor but when we refer to pontoon we mean the US version, as featured at real money USA casinos powered by RTG (Realtime Gaming) software.

As with blackjack, the aim of the game in pontoon is to beat the dealer by getting as close to 21 as possible without going over that total. So far, so similar. “Pontoon”, as with a natural blackjack, is the best possible hand and is formed by an ace with any card worth 10 to make 21. Pontoon pays out at odds of 2/1, as opposed to 3/2 to blackjack and the next best hand, a five card trick, also pays out at generous odds of 2/1.

A five card trick is any hand featuring five cards and staying under 22, with 21 the next best hand, followed by 20, 19 and so on, and anything over 21 being bust and thus automatically losing. There are various other minor rule differences between the two games but these result in perhaps the best thing about pontoon – it’s got a very low house edge.

The casino’s advantage over the player, dependent on the precise rules, is just 0.38%, making pontoon a great choice for those wanting to play for a long time. Note that tied hands are losers for the player in pontoon and they must twist, meaning take another card, on hands of 14 or below. The other big difference between blackjack and pontoon, played online or in a casino, is that the dealer’s two cards are both face down until the players have had their turns.

Pontoon really is great fun and with that big 2/1 payout, the possibility of a five card trick and a low house edge, why not give it a shot?

What is the House Edge at Blackjack?

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Here we take a look at the house edge at online blackjack and consider why and how blackjack is somewhat different to a lot of other casino games when it comes to the house edge.

First off though, let’s explain what the house edge is. The house edge is the name given to the advantage the casino holds over the player, with every game designed to ensure that in the long term the casino wins and the player loses. Normal statistical variation – or luck if you prefer – means that the player can win in the short term but overall the house retains the advantage.

Roulette is perhaps the easiest game to use to illustrate this. A standard American roulette table has 36 numbers and two zeroes, for a total of 38 possible results. In a totally “fair” game with zero house edge the casino would pay a single number at odds of 37/1. You could bet $10 on every number, staking a total of $380 and whatever number came up you would get $370 for the win, plus your $10 stake back, thus breaking even.

However, the casino doesn’t pay at odds of 37/1 but at 35/1, meaning you would lose $20 from your $380. The house edge expresses the percentage of total stake the player will lose and so playing double zero roulette the house edge is 5.26%. The existence of the zeroes creates the house edge, or at least the odds that don’t reflect their existence do.

In blackjack things are slightly more complex because there are a huge range of rules and variations that impact on the house edge. What is so clever about the game of blackjack is that it’s created in such a way that despite all the different options and possibilities, the dealer, that is to say the house, always has a slight edge. The game is almost even but the house has the slightest of advantages that ensures their long term success.

Much of the advantage the dealer has in blackjack is that the player goes first and can bust, automatically losing their stake regardless of what the dealer does. However, all the intricacies of the game also contribute towards the house edge and the different rules you will find slightly alter the house edge.

For example, the more decks used, the greater the edge, such that a game with a single deck will usually have a house edge around 0.5%, whilst eight decks significantly increases that. Other rules, such as what value the player can double on, splitting rules, blackjack payouts and surrender terms also have an impact.

Regardless of all this, online blackjack remains one of the most competitive games when it comes to the house edge, making it a great option for the savvy casino fan.