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BlackjackChamp Editor's Rating
When Cryptologic thought up Pontoon, they truly hit a home run. Pontoon is very similar to Blackjack, but the terminology used is different. As a short brief, we’ll be looking into our Pontoon dictionary and rules. Tune in to this Pontoon Cryptologic review for all information on the blackjack game.
Pontoon Cryptologic Review: An Introduction
First and foremost, Pontoon Blackjack is an alternative version of playing the basic format by Cryptologic. There are a few tweaks here and there that can throw you off at first. But soon enough you’ll get used to the new format and have an enjoyable gamer experience.
If you are familiar with the basic blackjack rules, getting to grips with Pontoon Blackjack shouldn’t be all that difficult. Mind you, it can be difficult to grasp at first. Thus, we advise you to play the free play version to truly get used to the format in place for this blackjack variant.
Rules
As promised, the first thing we ought to do is check upon it. Keep in mind, these terms are equal to their blackjack equivalents.
- Pontoon – A hand made of an ace and a ten-point card. Same as a blackjack.
- Twist – This is the equivalent of the hit.
- Stick – Equivalent of the stand.
- Buy – Equivalent of double down
- Five Card Trick – A hand of 5 cards that is not bust. It beats all but pontoon.
Onto the rules, when the dealer receives a soft 17, he’s required to twist. Likewise, the player must twist on hard 14, and can only stick on 15 or higher.
Whilst splitting is encouraged in this title, you can only split true pairs. You may re-split once for a total of 3 hands.
You are also able to buy any two cards, and the buy bet is equal to your initial wager. What’s more, you can even buy after a split. Interestingly enough, you can even twist after you buy.
Dealer’s cards are both face-down, so there is no insurance. You are also not allowed to surrender. And, unfortunately, the dealer wins all ties.
Financial Stipulations
When playing Cryptologic Pontoon, you must know that an initial bet can be anything between 5 and 100 €/£/$. When placing your wager, you can use different chip denominations. This will ensure you bet exactly how much you would like to.
As for pay-outs, the blueprints are rather simple. Pontoon will warrant you with a 2/1 pay-out. Similarly, Five Card Trick will also get you 2/1. As for standard wins, you can expect your bet to become out at evens (1/1).
Pontoon Cryptologic Review: Visuals
Cryptologic’s Pontoon puts other games to bed. The 3D graphics are fully integrated with state-of-the-art animations, not to mention 100% digital sound effects and music. Here’s what you can expect:
The game is as close to actually being inside a casino whilst playing from home. However, to say that the game does not have any bumps would also be a false claim. The cards, for instance, can be hard to read at times. These are some of the minor criticisms that can be associated with the game.
However, if you’re simply looking for a fun, fresh Pontoon game that looks great, you can certainly overlook these shortcomings. After all, Cryptologic’s Pontoon is one of the best versions of the title without a shadow of a doubt.
Tips and Tricks to win at Pontoon
If you get a 2, 3, or 4 in your first set of cards, it is usually good to buy, especially if your other card is low. This is because two low cards mean you just have to get 3 more low cards to get a Five Card Trick. It also means you are far from 21, so you can afford to get a 10 point card or an Ace on top of your two initial cards. It’s not a totally safe bet, but no bets are, really. It’s just a good idea, and it usually pays in the end!
The Bottom Line
Although Pontoon Blackjack may be difficult to grasp at first, it is a very profitable and enjoyable game once you get the hang of it. Whilst we recommend playing the free demo version for about an hour before placing any real solid cash, you can go at your own pace. According to this Pontoon Cryptologic review, we’ve got to note that the game is certainly more fun than Classic Blackjack. The visuals are set for a quality gamer experience and the payouts are all pretty standard. If you play, you will have to risk a bit but the reward and enjoyment could be worth your time.
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