Pontoon (21)

Pontoon is the British name for Twenty-One, a card game with roots stretching back to the French game Vingt-et-Un played in the 18th century. Unlike standard Blackjack, the dealer keeps both cards hidden until you finish your hand. You must decide to twist, stick, or buy without seeing what the dealer holds. A 2014 study in the Journal of Gambling Studies found that players who understand probability make significantly better decisions in card-based games. Pontoon rewards that kind of thinking. The best hand is a Pontoon: an Ace plus a 10-value card in your first two cards. It pays 2:1. A Five Card Trick, five cards totaling 21 or less, also pays 2:1. Start a hand right now in your browser and see if you can beat the dealer.

1. Place your bet and click Deal. You receive two cards face up. The dealer also gets two cards, but both stay face down.
2. Check your total. If you have an Ace and a 10-value card, you have a Pontoon. You win immediately at 2:1 unless the dealer also has Pontoon.
3. Click Twist to draw another card. Keep twisting until you are happy with your total or you bust by going over 21.
4. Click Stick to end your turn. The dealer then reveals both cards and must twist on 16 or less, sticking on 17 or more.
5. Click Buy to double your bet and receive exactly one more card. You can only buy on your first two cards.
6. If your two cards share the same rank, click Split to play them as two separate hands. You cannot buy after splitting.
7. Collect five cards without busting and you have a Five Card Trick, the second best hand in the game. It pays 2:1.

• Number cards (2 through 10) are worth their face value. Jacks, Queens, and Kings are each worth 10.
• Aces count as 1 or 11, whichever gives you the better total.
• Pontoon (Ace plus a 10-value card in two cards) is the highest ranking hand. It beats any other total including 21.
• Five Card Trick (five cards totaling 21 or less) ranks second. It beats a three-card 21.
• The dealer must twist on 16 or less and stick on 17 or more.
• Going over 21 is a bust. You lose immediately.
• Both dealer cards stay face down until you stick, bust, or complete a Five Card Trick.

• Twist on any total of 14 or less. The dealer has both cards hidden, so you have no upcard to read. Playing safe at 14 gives the dealer too much room.
• Stick on 18 or higher. The risk of busting on one more card exceeds the chance of improving your hand.
• Buy on a hard total of 10 or 11 when you have not split. Doubling your bet here gives you the best expected value because a single 10-value card puts you at 20 or 21.
• Aim for the Five Card Trick when you reach four cards at 12 or less. Drawing one more small card wins you 2:1, which beats a standard 1:1 payout.
• Never buy after splitting. The rules forbid it, and even if they did, the reduced information from two simultaneous hands makes doubling too risky.

• Blackjack: The American version. The dealer shows one card face up, and a natural 21 pays 3:2 instead of 2:1.
• Spanish 21: All 10s are removed from the deck. Bonus payouts exist for certain hand combinations, and player 21 always wins.
• Vingt-et-Un: The original French version. The dealer banks the game and players bet against the house. No split or buy options.

• The hidden dealer cards add tension. You commit to your hand before seeing what you are up against.
• The Five Card Trick creates a unique secondary goal. Chasing five small cards changes how you evaluate every draw.
• The 2:1 payouts on Pontoon and Five Card Trick feel more rewarding than the standard 1:1 or 3:2 in regular Blackjack.
• Games finish in two to five minutes, making it a quick mental challenge during a break.

Play Pontoon for free directly in your browser. No downloads, no sign-ups, no real money. Place your bet with virtual chips, twist and stick your way to 21, and track your wins and losses over time. The game runs smoothly on desktop, tablet, and phone.

Pontoon adds layers of strategy that standard Blackjack does not offer. The hidden dealer cards, the Five Card Trick, and the 2:1 payouts all change how you think about each hand. Play for free, track your chip balance, and see if you can build a Five Card Trick or land a natural Pontoon.

• Pontoon (card game) - Wikipedia
• Journal of Gambling Studies - Cambridge University Press