Pontoon is the British version of a popular gambling game known as Twenty One, a game that is better known as Blackjack. The game of Pontoon can be played by 2 – 8 players using a standard deck of 52 game cards. If you’re playing Pontoon in a group of 8 or more, you can also mix two packs of 52 game cards. You are also likely to need spare money or chips for betting. All cards are given proper values – ace has the value of 1 or 11, all face cards have the value of 10 and all number cards have their corresponding number values. The basic goal of pontoon is to make a hand that is as close to the number 21.
In order to begin the game, you need to designate one player as the banker. Since a banker is always at an advantage in pontoon, you need to ensure that you choose the banker in turns or at random. The players win the game when they manage to make a hand that is better than the banker’s hand.
A few things you need to know about Pontoon Hands
1. The best hand that a person can make is a Pontoon, i.e., a hand that has a total of 21 with just two cards.
2. The second best hand is the Five Card Trick, i.e., a hand which has five cards and totals to a maximum of 21.
3. The third best hand is the Four Card Trick, i.e., a hand which has four cards and totals to a maximum of 21.
4. Hands that exceed the numerical value of 21 are bust. Players with such hands forfeit the round. If the banker exceeds the value of 21, all players still in the game win.
5. The idea of pontoon is to beat the banker. If the banker and the player have the same hands, the banker wins.
The Gameplay
The game begins once the banker deals one card facing down to each player. All players can look at their own cards. However, the banker is not allowed to check his/ her card. Starting with the player who received the first card, all players need to place their initial bets. These bets must be placed according to a minimum/ maximum bet limit that is decided before the game starts. Once all bets have been placed, the banker deals a second card facing down to all players. All players are now allowed to look at their cards (including the banker). If the banker has a pontoon, he/ she automatically wins and the game ends immediately. All players must pay the banker double their initial stakes. If the banker doesn’t have a pontoon in his/ her first two cards, the game proceeds onto the next round. Continuing from the player who was first dealt a card, players must try and improve their hands by requesting additional cards. A player has the following options when his/ her turn comes –
Declare a pontoon if the hand consists of a numerical value of 21 in just two cards.
Split the hand if it contains two cards that are equal in rank. This requires the player to place an additional bet which is equal to the initial bet. In effect, a player splitting his/ her hand plays two games of pontoon in the same round. Players can split up their game to a maximum of four.
Buy another card by adding an amount which is equal to (or more than) the initial amount. The maximum additional amount that can be bet by the player is two times the initial stake. Players can keep buying cards (up to a maximum of 3) as long as their hand value doesn’t cross 21. If the hand crosses a numerical value of 21, it is called bust and players lose the game.
Players have the option of sticking to their cards if the hand value is at least 15.
Once all players have completed their turn, the banker must play his/ her hand. The banker can add more cards to the initial hand, one at a time. He/ she can call for a stick anytime the hand seems to be satisfactory (provided it is equal to a numerical value of 15 or more and is less than 21).
