As one of the world’s most popular and well-known casino games, blackjack has spawned numerous variants, one of which is known as Pontoon. Derived from a French game called Vingt-et-un, Pontoon is especially popular in British casinos and has recently made the jump to gambling websites. Pontoon may also refer to a game played in Australia and Malaysia and is similar to Spanish 21. For the purposes of this article, Pontoon will refer to the British game.
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While experienced players of blackjack and other casino games should have no trouble understanding the rules of Pontoon, rule variations can greatly alter what constitutes appropriate strategy. The game is also notable for using a different set of terminology. In fact, the term blackjack is not ever used in Pontoon, although the goal of the game is still to get as close to 21 without going over.
Pontoon Rules
Blackjack players will notice a key difference in Pontoon as soon as the hand is dealt. While all players are dealt two face-up cards as usual, the dealer gives him or herself two face-down cards. He or she immediately checks these for a Pontoon, which is equivalent to a blackjack. If a Pontoon has been dealt, the dealer wins and the hand ends immediately. If the dealer does not have a Pontoon, the hand continues normally.
A player has three options on his or her turn. He or she may twist, which is the same as hitting in standard blackjack. However, in Pontoon a player must always twist if his or her total is less than 15 or he or she has a total of 5 cards. Once either condition has been met, a player may stick, which is equivalent to standing. Players may also buy, which is similar to doubling down, but may be done once with any hand of 2 to 4 cards. Unlike in traditional blackjack, players may twist after buying. This makes buying slightly more advantageous than doubling down. However, if a player buys on an Ace, the Ace is automatically considered soft and counts as 1 point.
In Pontoon, players may split different 10 point cards, which means that a Jack and Queen could be considered the same card for the purpose of splitting. If the player draws an Ace on such a card after a split, he or she receives a Pontoon and is paid out 2 to 1. If Aces are split, a player may only twist once on each Ace. Additionally, all ties result in the dealer winning rather than a push.
A hand of five cards that does not exceed 21 is called a five card trick, and pays 2 to 1. While this hand does not beat a Pontoon, it beats every hand other than a Pontoon.
Choosing Online Pontoon Casino Sites
The best place to find online Pontoon is at gambling sites that cater to British players. One should always be sure to select the right version of Pontoon. The version played in Australian and Malaysian casinos is very different to what we described here. Check the rules at a given site to verify which version of Pontoon that site offers.
