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Game Rules
Pontoon
Type: Card Game – Variation of Black Jack
Versions: Single
Premise:
Pontoon is the British version of the world-world game of Twenty-One American Casino version Blackjack. The objective of this game is for the player to come as close to 21 as possible, without going over this amount, but at the same time having a higher amount than the dealer. This variation on blackjack however, makes betting more interesting as a few of the standard rules and payout are changed. The game has the rues and shortcuts of the current blackjack game, with these exceptions:
Summary of rules:
- The game is played with eight 52-card decks
- The deck is re-shuffled after approximately 1/3 of the shoe has been dealt
- The dealer must Twist on 16 and Soft 17 and Stick on the Hard 17
- Pontoon Pays 2 to 1
- 5 Card trick pays 2 to 1
- The player must twist on 14 or less
- Buy once anytime
- Twist after buy Allowed
- Split 2 times max
- Dealer wins on a tie
- Splitting Aces allowed
- No insurance available to the player
How to play:
Before receiving any cards the player must place a wager on the table. Once the wager has been placed the player is then dealt two cards face up, and the dealer deals two to himself, facing down. All the face cards are valued at 10 and the cards from 2-10 are value accordingly, Aces can be either valued at one or 11, and if the ace would value the card over 21 then it is automatically counted as 1 instead. You do not need to specify which value the ace has, as it is always assumed that it will give the value that gives the player the best hand. The value of the hand is therefore the sum of the values of all the cards. For example, a hand that contains a jack, a 3 and a 4 has the value of 17. If the total value of the player's cards is closer to 21 than the dealer's, then the player wins as much as he has wagered. The player also wins if the dealer's cards value over 21.
Betting:
Your chips are stacked by denomination: $1, $5, $25, $100, $500 and are displayed at the bottom of the screen next to the User Information Box. You can select the amount that you would like to wager on a given hand by then clicking on the left mouse button the chip of that denomination. The amount then wagered on any given hand can be either increased or decreased by placing the mouse on the stack that you wish to add or subtract to, and by clicking on the left button you can add a chip and by clicking on the right button you can decrease from it. You can then repeat your last bet anytime by hitting the '0' button on your numeric keyboard. Other shortcuts are summarized below. If you place a wager which is lower than the minimum bet limit for the table, your bet amount will then be automatically adjusted to the minimum bet amount.
To start:
You begin with a hand of Pontoon by placing a wager on the table as described above. You will then be able to receive two cards face up, and the dealer will receive two cards face down. After you have been dealt your two cards, and based on the value of these cards, you can do any of the following by clicking with the left mouse button on the appropriate action:
Twist (Hit):
This can be used anytime, but a player must twist (hit) if they have a total of 14 or less before pressing to stick (standing). The player should not be able to twist if they have 5 cards non-busted (under 21 total); it should automatically go to the next player.
Stick (Stand):
This requests that the player receives no more cards. The hand, as it stands will be valued against the dealer's. You must have 5 cards or a total of 15 or more, non busted (under 21) to use this option.
Buy (Double):
This can be used by the player anytime, but only once per individual hand, hit after buy (double down) allowed until you bust or stick (stand). For example, if you split your hand 3 times you will be able to buy (double down) 3 times, once for each current hand. This option will then be active throughout the game, and the player will be dealt a minimum of one card after selecting any button. You must still twist (hit) if you have a total of 14 or less before sticking (standing).
Split:
If the player has any two cards that are of equal value (two identical cards independent of suit), a Split button will be displayed. This option will only be active after the player has received their first two cards. You can then split your cards into hands, and play each hand independently. If the player splits their hand their original bet will also be duplicated for the new hand. Each hand will then be played out as usual, and the player can split up to 3 hands maximum. A white box displaying the card total will appear over each hand to indicate which hand is active. Split aces are allowed, and are treated as if they are any other pair. The player is allowed to twist, buy or play. Just like if they were a pair of eights: which differs from regular Black Jack.
Pontoon:
The dealer will peek at their cards and check for a Pontoon (like blackjack 21) before any player action is made available to the players. If the dealer has a Pontoon it will then be turned over and the dealer will collect all of the wagers and cards.
Payoffs:
| Result | Payoff |
|---|---|
| Winning Hand | 1 to 1 |
| Pontoon (2-card 21) | 2 to 1 (anytime) |
| 5-Card Trick - Total 21 or Less | 2 to 1 |
| Tie (Including on Pontoons) | Dealer Wins |
Betting Limits:
$5minimum initial ante
$1000 maximum bet
You may also set your table bet limit to below the maximum specified limit by selecting Bet Options from the Game Menu. The Modify Table Bet Limit window will appear on the screen. To reduce your maximum table bet limit you must type in the new limit in the appropriate box, and then click on the OK button to complete the update. Please be aware that you can modify your table bet limit no more than once per week (Friday 12:00 AM EST) and that using the Modify Table Bet Limit function affects the bet limit for all games and not just the game that you are playing at the time of changing the limit.
Card Values:
The suits of the cards have no meaning within the game. Cards 2 through 10 are valued on their face value. Jacks, Queens and Kings are all valued at 10, and Aces can count as either 1 or 11.
Ranking of Hands:
- Pontoon (Ace and any 10-point card, including after splitting)
- 5-card trick that has not busted
- Non-busted hand with 4 cards or less, these are all ranked according to closest to 21 without busting
Examples:
- 5-card trick will beat a 21 in 3-4 cards
- 3-card 18 with beat a 4-card 16
- Pontoon by dealer will beat any hand
Shortcut Keys:
Numeric Keyboard Shortcuts:
| Keyboard Entry | Action |
|---|---|
| 0 | Repeat last bet |
| Enter | Deal, Stick |
| + | Twist |
| * | Buy |
| / | Split |
Please take note that these keyboard shortcuts are only offered as a suggestion. Some computers may have different functions, and therefore we cannot guarantee that all these shortcuts will apply to all computers.
