Pontoon Description
The objective of Pontoon is for a Player to
come as close to 21 without going over, while
still having a higher total than the Dealer.
Prior to receiving any cards, the Player must
place a wager. Once the wager is made, the Player
is dealt two cards face up. The Dealer is also
dealt two cards. If the total value of the Player's
cards is closer to 21 than the Dealer, the Player
wins as much as was wagered. The Player also
wins if the Dealer goes over 21 and the Player
has not busted. If the Player's total goes over
21, the Player loses the amount wagered.
Pontoon Rules:
- Pontoon is dealt with 2 decks of Cards.
- Cards are re-shuffled after every hand.
- Dealer must hit soft 17.
- Dealer wins all ties.
- Dealer wins with any 5 card total of 21 or
less.
- Player wins with any 5 card total of 21 or
less (unless the Dealer has 5 cards).
Pontoon Card Values
- Suits of the cards have no meaning in the
game.
- Cards 2 through 10 are the face value.
- Jacks, Queens and Kings are all valued at
10.
- Aces can count as either 1 or 11.
The Player can win at Pontoon if...
- They have a higher total than the Dealer
with both the Player and Dealer having 4 cards
or less.
- The Dealer busts over 21.
- The Player has any 5 cards of 21 or less
and the Dealer does not achieve a 5-card hand.
The Player loses at Pontoon if...
- The Dealer has the same total or higher total
than the Player with both the Player and Dealer
having 4 cards or less. The Dealer wins all
Tied hands in Pontoon - there are no pushes.
- The Dealer receives any 5 card hand.
- If the Player has a hand that consists of
a 6 and an Ace, it may either be considered
a 17 or drop its value to 7. The Ace may count
as 1 or 11. You may change the value of the
Ace as the hand progresses.
Pontoon Player Actions/Button Descriptions:
Bet - To place a bet, the Player
must click on the chip value that they wish to
wager.
Deal - Press Deal to begin
the game once a wager has been placed. The Player
gets two cards face up and the Dealer gets two
cards face down.
Hit - Player desires another
card to be dealt. The Player must have a hard
total of 15 before standing.
Stand - Player desires to keep
hand dealt. The game will automatically stand
when the Player has a 21 with 4 cards or less
or has any 5-card total. Players cannot stand
with a hard total of 14 or less.
Split - If the Player's first
two cards are of the same value (i.e. 7, 7, or
Q, Q) they may be split into 2 separate hands
by placing a second wager of equal value. In
Pontoon, only 10's of equal rank (Q,Q/K,K) can
be split. J,Q would not qualify for a split hand.
The Player may have up to 3 hands at one time.
The Player then proceeds to draw cards as usual,
with these exceptions:
A Player may draw and double after splitting
aces. A 2-card 21 after splitting aces counts
as a pontoon.
Double - Player desires to
double down their original wager. In Pontoon,
the Player may Double at any time and may hit
after Doubling. If a Player has doubled down
and receives a total of 14 or less, the hand
will automatically draw cards until the total
is over 14.
Bust - Is achieved when total
value of cards for either the Dealer or the Player
exceeds 21. If the Player busts the wager is
lost, if the Dealer busts the Player automatically
wins the wager.
Pontoon Payouts
| Who |
Hand |
Description |
Payout |
| Dealer |
Pontoon |
2-card 21 |
None |
| Player |
Pontoon |
2-card 21(except with Dealer Pontoon) |
2 to 1 |
| Dealer |
5-Card |
5-card 21 or less |
None |
| Player |
5-Card |
5-card 21 or less (except with Dealer
5 card hand) |
2 to 1 |
| Player |
Other Winning Hands |
1-1 |
| Dealer |
Push |
Tie with Player |
None |
|