What is Pontoon?
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Pontoon is a British card game closely related to blackjack. The core goal is the same — get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over — but the terminology and some rules differ significantly from standard blackjack.
Key differences from blackjack
In Pontoon, both dealer cards are dealt face down (the dealer never shows an upcard). The best hand is called a ‘pontoon’ (an ace with a 10-value card), which pays 2:1. A ‘five-card trick’ (any five cards totaling 21 or under) also pays 2:1 and beats everything except a pontoon. Players must hit on 14 or less. ‘Twist’ means hit, ‘stick’ means stand, and ‘buy’ means double.
Australian Pontoon
Australian Pontoon is actually a different game more closely related to Spanish 21. The naming overlap causes confusion. The British version described above is the original. If you see Pontoon in an online casino, check the specific rules since the name is applied to both variants depending on the region and software provider.
Ben Barber got into the gambling industry through the poker rooms of London in the early 2000s. After building up a solid grounding in casino, sports betting and poker, he made the move to Malta where he spent close to a decade writing for some of the biggest affiliate networks in the region. A few years ago he relocated to Bali, which shifted his focus toward website strategy and affiliate marketing. The casino side never really left, though. He still writes reviews, how-to guides and in-depth pieces on everything from slots and live dealer tables to crypto casinos and sweepstakes sites. His approach is fact-first: help players understand how online gambling actually works before they deposit a cent.