Pontoon
The British cousin of blackjack: twist, stick, buy — and a five card trick that beats a 21.
About Pontoon
Pontoon is the British branch of the twenty-one family. Its ancestor, veinte y uno, is first recorded in a Spanish dictionary in 1611, and Cervantes described its aim — reach 21 without going over, with the ace worth 1 or 11 — in 1613. The name "pontoon" appeared during the First World War, apparently a soldier's corruption of the French vingt-un.
The goal is the one you know from blackjack, but the words and several rules differ. You twist rather than hit, stick rather than stand, and buy a card rather than double. The banker is one of the players, not the house.
Rules vary widely from table to table and household to household. What follows is the version described on Wikipedia.
How a round works
- Everyone places a stake after seeing their first card.
- The banker deals two cards to each player and to themselves. Anyone holding a pontoon declares it.
- Each player in turn twists, buys or sticks, and may not stick below 16. Going over 21 is bust and loses the stake at once.
- The banker turns over their cards and draws as they choose.
- The banker pays double to a pontoon and to 21 or a five card trick, and single stakes to any better total. The banker wins all ties.
Rules at a glance
| Deck | 52 cards, no jokers |
|---|---|
| Dealer | The banker — one of the players |
| Twist | Take a card face up (free — but you may not buy afterwards) |
| Buy | Pay up to your stake again for a card dealt face down |
| Stick | Stand — not allowed on a total below 16 |
| Pontoon | An Ace and a ten-value card; paid double |
| Five card trick | Five cards without busting; beats everything except a pontoon |
| Blackjack pays | A pontoon pays 2:1 |
| Ties | The banker wins all ties |
| Splitting | Rules vary; in the version described, only Aces |
Rules vary between casinos. Always check the blackjack payout and the dealer's soft 17 rule; they move the house edge more than anything else on this page.
What makes it different
Different words
Twist for hit, stick for stand, buy for a paid face-down card.
Minimum 16
You may not stick on a total below 16.
Five card trick
Five cards without busting beat everything except a pontoon — even a three-card 21.
Banker wins ties
Matching the banker's total loses, which is a large edge for whoever holds the bank.
What it means for card counting
With one deck and a bank that passes between players, Pontoon is a social game rather than a counting target. The principle still holds — cards that have been played are gone until the reshuffle — but home rules vary too much for a standard count to be priced accurately.
Practise on a matching shoe in the card counting trainer.
Where you will find it
Played at home and in pubs across Britain and the Commonwealth. Not to be confused with casino "Pontoon" in Australia and Malaysia, which is a no-hole-card game close to Spanish 21.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Pontoon and blackjack?
They share the same ancestor and the same goal. Pontoon uses different terms (twist, stick, buy), requires at least 16 to stick, pays double for a pontoon, counts a five card trick as the second-best hand, and gives ties to the banker.
What does a pontoon pay?
A pontoon — an Ace with a ten-value card — is paid double, unless it is part of a split hand.
What is a five card trick?
Five cards that do not bust. It beats every hand except a pontoon.
Where does the name Pontoon come from?
It appeared during the First World War, apparently a soldier's corruption of vingt-un, the French name for twenty-one.
Sources
Other blackjack variants
- European BlackjackThe no-hole-card game — the dealer takes a second card only after you have finished acting.
- American BlackjackThe hole-card game that every standard basic strategy chart is written for.
- Atlantic City BlackjackEight decks, but one of the most player-friendly rule sets you will find.
- Vegas Strip BlackjackFour decks, dealer stands on soft 17, and no surrender to fall back on.
- Single Deck BlackjackThe best odds in blackjack — or the worst, depending entirely on the payout.
- Spanish 21Every ten removed from the deck, and a pile of player bonuses to make up for it.
- Blackjack SwitchTwo hands at once — and the right to swap their second cards before you play them.
- Double Exposure BlackjackBoth of the dealer's cards dealt face up — in exchange for even-money blackjacks and losing every tie.
- Double Attack BlackjackSee the dealer's up-card first, then decide whether to double your bet.
- Super Fun 21Double on any number of cards and win automatically with six cards totalling 20 — at a 6:5 blackjack payout.
- Chinese Blackjack (Ban-Luck)Southeast Asia's home game of 21 — where an Ace can be worth 10 and a pair of Aces pays 3 to 1.