[velvetdog]

I just cleared my $90 Intercasino bonus last night (+ $65 in winnings) on Pontoon and I love it.

Pontoon Advantages:

2:1 payout for blackjack (Pontoon)
ability to hit after doubling
5 card trick pays 2:1
Ability to double on 3-4 cards
Ability to double after split
Pontoon after splitting aces pays 2:1

Disadvantages:

No dealer upcard
Must hit to hard 14
Dealer wins ties

I don't have the stats for the % advantage for each of these (Bet Sklansky knows though), but suspect that Pontoon would have a slight advantage over 4 or 6 deck blackjack, probably very close to single deck blackjack w/ favorable Vegas rules (double on any 2 cards). Agree that variance is probably higher because there are more doubling situations.

Blackjack would be preferred for card counters especially if dealt using 4 decks or less w/ good deck penetration, since Pontoon uses 8 decks and I am unsure of penetration.