Mark: Can anybody figure this out.

[Mark]

I have encounted a game called Pontoon.
Its played with six normal decks of cards. There are no cards removed like spanish 21.
The cut is about 1.5-2 decks out of six.
Rules:
Dealer wins ties.
No Insurance Bet.
Blackjack pays 2 to 1
A five card hand under 22 wins automatically and pays of at 6 to 4.
Split four times, Replit Aces, Double after split.
Double on any number of cards but in a strange way.
Example: You bet 5 and get A6 vs dealers 6 and double by putting up another 5, you get an Ace, you may now draw or double again by putting up another 5 so you double and get a 10 giving you A6A10 with 15 on the table you can now stand or draw.

Thanks for any input.

[suicyco maniac]

I remember reading about this before however I am away from my books right now I think it was in blackjaack wisdom by Arnold Snyder can anybody else help him out?

> I have encounted a game called Pontoon.
> Its played with six normal decks of cards.
> There are no cards removed like spanish 21.
> The cut is about 1.5-2 decks out of six.
> Rules:
> Dealer wins ties.
> No Insurance Bet.
> Blackjack pays 2 to 1
> A five card hand under 22 wins automatically
> and pays of at 6 to 4.
> Split four times, Replit Aces, Double after
> split.
> Double on any number of cards but in a
> strange way.
> Example: You bet 5 and get A6 vs dealers 6
> and double by putting up another 5, you get
> an Ace, you may now draw or double again by
> putting up another 5 so you double and get a
> 10 giving you A6A10 with 15 on the table you
> can now stand or draw.

> Thanks for any input.

[Sun Runner]

> Dealer wins ties.
> No Insurance Bet.

> A five card hand under 22 wins automatically
> and pays of at 6 to 4.

> Double on any number of cards but in a
> strange way.
> Example: You bet 5 and get A6 vs dealers 6
> and double by putting up another 5, you get
> an Ace, you may now draw or double again by
> putting up another 5 so you double and get a
> 10 giving you A6A10 with 15 on the table you
> can now stand or draw.

I'm no mathematician ... but shooting from the hip, I would guess:

The first two variations are such deal killers that any possible positive increase in EV from the later would not be near sufficent to overcome the negative EV from the first two.

Working a five card hand to earn 6:4 would require deviation from BS enough to probably more than offset any possible gain.

An interesting DD scenario; one I would think would be quite positive. I tried doubling down for more once -they weren't amused!

SR

[Adam N. Subtractum]

...but I believe I heard that Moose is the resident Pontoon expert, perhaps he will see your post and respond.

ANS

[FLASH]

If I remember correctly this is basically a -1.xx % game off the top Fuggedaboudit I ran across detailed info about this when I was preparing to play in Costa Rica last August. I was able to find a few low stakes (poor rules) BJ games there - but most of their casinos deal a game called Rommy - that is very similar to Spanish BJ Another poor game to play !

[Moose]

But thank you anyways ANS

Pontoon looks crazy, I know next to nothing about the game except that it looks insane. Without a highly specialized strategy I'm quite sure the game is completely unbeatable. Even with one, well, good luck to ya

M.