Pontoon is a lesser-known game by popular card game standards. It’s the British version of the internationally renowned banking game called ‘Twenty-one’ (from the French Vingt-et-un or 21), which is the American Casino counterpart of Blackjack.
Currently, this variant is offered by a variety of softwares providers, including giants like Betsoft, Microgaming and Playtech. And, if you’re a US player, fret not, because RealTime Gaming have got you covered.
Aim of The Game
Pontoon can have two or more players. It works well with 5 to 8 players with a standard 52 card pack. To play the game, you’ll need a supply of money or chips to place your stakes.
The cards’ values are as follows: ace, which is worth 1 or 11 at the holder’s choice. Kings, queens, jacks and tens are all worth ten, the remaining cards are valued according to their pip. Each player’s aim is to form a hand whose total value is as near as possible to 21, without exceeding 21.
One player is designated as the banker (who has an advantage). The first banker is randomly chosen and is the player who cuts the highest card. Each of the other players bet on having a better hand than the banker. When both banker and player have equal valued hands, the former wins.
How it Works
Starting from the player to the dealer’s left, going round the table and ending with the dealer, the banker deals one card face down to every player. All players except the banker may look at their card and everyone except the banker places their initial bets.
Before the start of each game, betting limits need to be set, and each player needs to bet any amount within this margin. Next, the dealer deals a second card face down to every player, and everyone looks at their cards. If the banker has a Pontoon, it’s immediately shown, and the banker collects double the amount bet by each player. Should they wish, players each have a turn to try to get a better hand, by acquiring extra cards, provided that the banker doesn’t have a pontoon.
Learning the Right Moves
Despite having virtually identical moves to Blackjack, the ones in Pontoon are completely different. So, to avoid having to forfeit the game, be sure to learn which move is which before you start playing.
- Twist – used when you need another card, if the total value of your cards is less than 21. The dealer deals you one card face up. If your total remains below 21 you may ask for a third and possibly fourth.
- Stick – when you no longer want any more cards from the dealer or if the total amount of your cards is a minimum of 15. You keep the cards you have, your stake remains unchanged and it’s the next player’s turn.
- Buy – if you want to double down, you buy. This happens when the total value of your cards is under 21. You’ll also need to place a bet which is of the same amount you initially bet on your base hand. Before choosing this move, remember you’ll only be able to buy a card once per round. The only other time you’ll be able to buy another card is when you split a pair of cards.
- Split – is only possible if you’ve managed to obtain a pair of cards. You may split them into two hands by putting them face up on the table and placing another bet equal to your first bet. Next, a card is dealt to each of your hands, face down. You then play the hands one at a time, as separate hands with separate stakes. If either of the new cards dealt is equal to the initial two, you may choose to split again, creating three or even four separate hands, each having its own stake. Remember, you cannot split two ten-point cards unless they are actually equal. For instance, two queens can be split but a queen and a jack cannot.
- Declare a Pontoon – happens if your two cards are an ace and a ten-point card. You declare your hand by putting it on the table with the ten-point card face down and the ace face up on top of it.
- Surrender – while this move is not always an option to players, there are times you’ll come across it so it’s certainly worth keeping in mind just in case.
It’s All About Strategy
Once you’re confident that you’ve understood the rules, you should learn how to strategize. With the right strategy in place, Pontoon is a game with a low house edge that can go as low as 0.34%.
Just like Blackjack, Pontoon has a Basic Strategy to decrease the House Edge. But, unlike Blackjack, the dealer’s cards are also facedown, so this strategy cannot take into consideration the dealer’s hand information. What’s more, the additional payout for a 5 Card Trick makes this hand far more valuable. Basic Strategy is dependent on the player’s hand and the number of cards that hand has.
Hard vs. Soft Hands
Hard
Hard hands exclude an ace, otherwise if it has one it’s bust.
- 4 – 7 – hit
- 8 – hit on 2 or 3 cards; double down on 4
- 9 – hit on 2 cards; double down on 3 or 4
- 10 and 11– double down
- 12 through 14 – hit on 2 or 3 cards; double down on 4
- 15 and 16 – stand on 2 or 3 cards; double down on 4
- 17 – stand on 2 or 3 cards; double down on 4
- 18 and higher – stand
Soft
This hand includes an ace and cannot bust.
– Soft 13 – hit
– Soft 14 through 18 – hit on 2 or 3 cards; double down on 4
– Soft 19 and 20 – stand on 2 cards; double down on 3 or 4
Which Are The Best Hands In A Pontoon?
A Pontoon (Blackjack)
Identical to the ‘blackjack’ hand a ‘pontoon’ consists of a 10 and a King, Queen, Jack or a 10. Getting a pontoon usually results in an automatic win. But, in the unfortunate case that the dealer also acquires this type of hand, they win instead.
Five Hand Trick
Next in line as the best hand is known as a Five Hand Trick. As implied by the name, it consists of five cards, where the total score is 21 or less.
3 or 4 Cards
If you have a hand of 3 or 4 which total to 21, this beats all other hands except for a Pontoon or a Five Card Trick.
Scoring 20 or under
A hand with a score of 20 or lower, and fewer than five cards rank according to how close to 21 they are. So, for example, a hand with 20 would beat one with a score of 18.
And how about the worst hand in Pontoon?
In short, a Bust Hand. This hand has a total score that adds up to anything that’s over 21.
Wrapping Up…
Pontoon is one of the better variations of online blackjack games, and more often than not it’s considered better than its traditional counterparts. With a strategy that’s easy to grasp, despite its unusual rules, it’s definitely an entertaining game you should try. And, if played well, it’s an exciting and potentially very lucrative game – and who doesn’t like the prospect of winning?
