Yesterday I wrote about the game of Spanish 21, which is one of the most popular variations of the game of blackjack. Another popular variation that has been around for ages is pontoon. Pontoon is a popular togel hongkong hari ini game in the UK, though you can find it other places as well. Sometimes the names pontoon and Spanish 21 are used interchangeably, even though they are different games.
Like blackjack, the object of pontoon is to get a hard higher than the dealer without going over 21, which would cause you to bust. One major difference between pontoon and blackjack is that in pontoon, all of the dealer’s cards are dealt face down, which alters strategy considerably, since it is much more difficult to guess what hand the dealer has. The player’s cards are dealt face up. Another big difference is that there are no push hands (ties) in pontoon. If you and the dealer have the same hand, the dealer wins every time. Both of the above changes tilt the odds in the house’s favor. However, there are some rule variations that help the player as well.
In this game, a combination of a 10 and an ace is called a pontoon rather than a blackjack. Pontoon has a rule that is often called a 5-card Charlie: If you draw five cards without busting, you win and the house pays out 2 to 1. In pontoon, that hand is called a “five-card trick.” Another difference is that in pontoon, the player can only stand on a 15 or better, so if you have a 14 and really would like to stand, sorry. You have to hit.
In pontoon, the dealer always hits a soft 17. The game is played using between 2 and 8 decks. If you play perfect pontoon strategy, the house edge is only 0.3%, which is right up there with the best casino games.
New Chipless Blackjack Game at CA Casino
If you walk into Barona Resort & Casino in sunny San Diego, California, you may notice something odd about the blackjack tables. There are no chips. The casino has added new electronic i-Tables (no word on if Apple plans to sue over that name).
To speed up the game and give the players instant verification, the wagers are done electronically at the blackjack i-Tables. The game still has a live dealer and physical cards are still dealt by the players, but instead of the players placing chips in the betting circle and having them taken or being given more chips by the dealer, it is all done electronically on a touch screen (no word on whether their touch-screen device is cooler than the iPad).
By using the electronic transfers instead of chips, players can more easily track how much money they have any how much they win or lose on each hand. Also, the touch screen allows for various side bets. One popular side bet is the “odds bet,” where players wager on the probability of winning or losing that round. Once the players are dealt their hands, they consider their chances and simply place the odds bet on the electronic device. Other side bets include “Bet the Set 21” and “Royal Match 21.”
Because the game moves faster without having to wait for the dealer to collect and hand out chips, the more rounds are played at the table than at traditional tables. For that reason, the game allows for lower minimum bets than traditional tables.
Though the chipless i-Tables are new for blackjack at the Barona Resort, they already offered i-Tables for roulette and baccarat. In addition, the casino has 75 traditional table games, including blackjack. The chipless i-Tables were designed by Shuffle Master, a gambling hardware designer based in Las Vegas.
