RTG Pontoon Blackjack

Of all the blackjack variants that RealTime Gaming offers, Pontoon is the most extreme. It’s rooted in blackjack in that 21 is still a magic number, but even its two-card 21 winner isn’t called a “blackjack in this game-it’s called a Pontoon. And now you know what you’re getting yourself into.

Because this game is so drastically different in nature from the other RTG blackjack options, it’s probably best that we break down its rules a bit:

• All ties go to the Dealer.
• Dealer will hit on a hard 16 or a soft 17.
• Dealer will stand on a hard 17 or soft 18 as well as a 5-card hand of any total.
• A Dealer’s 5-card hand will beat a Player’s 5-card hand.
• A player can hit up to 5 times.
• A player can only stand once he or she reaches a total of 15 points or has 5 cards.
• Doubling is allowed once on the same hand.
• Splitting is allowed on any pair, up to three hands.

The game starts out fairly innocuously, you get your two cards, and the Dealer gets two cards, except in this game, the Dealer’s cards are both face down.

A little alarming, not knowing at least part of your opponents game, but as long as you focus on your goal-getting 21 or darn close to it-it’s really not that scary.

The payouts are fairly decent here as well. A Pontoon (aka Blackjack) will pay 2 to 1, and you’ll get the same odds on a 5-card hand (time to start loving those little cards).

If this still seems a little complicated, RTG has an extensive rulebook, as well as a quick rule menu that you can access at anytime during your play.

All in all, it’s a great take on a classic game. With as fast as the RTG play is, you’ll get the hang of it in no time at all.

Play Pontoon and several other RTG blackjack games at our recommended online casinos.