Pontoon (Australia)

Hi,

I was playing pontoon at a table with a 'new' dealer, and I was wondering what the value of the two scenarios below are:

1. I was the front bettor of a box with a back bettor also playing (he was betting about $100, and I was betting $25 per bet)
We then got a hand of 11 vs dealer 9, and I decided to double.
The back player didn't double, so i asked both the player and dealer if i could take his double (they both agreed).
I am curious to know what value I would get for being able to put down $125 against my initial bet of $25?

note: i know the overall house edge of the game stays the same, but I am sure that if that player kept letting me take his double, then I would have had a significant player edge for my own bet.

2. The dealer let me have the equivalent of an early surrender (twice), against a dealer ace,

a) hard 15 (got to keep half my bet straight away)
b) pair of aces, split and then got 14 and 13 in my split hands and surrendered both.

note: for b), I don't know if this was the correct play, even with early surrender, because I would have gotten half my bet back anyway, if the dealer got BJ.

A few more hands played, then a dealer change happened, no one confiscated my winnings.

note: i didn't expect to have my winnings confiscated for scenario 1, but I was worried about 2, when the pit boss came over and gave me a light "warning" about how I should know the rules^^^ etc of the game I was playing.

^^^: in my defense, when i first sat down i did ask the dealer what the surrender rules were ( all the other player's at the table heard me ask) and the dealer told me I would get half back if i surrender against a 10 or A.



thanks