Pontoon blackjack is a variation of traditional blackjack which has variations within it.
Mobile casinos usually offer British pontoon, but the Australian/Malaysian variation can also be found. Discover more about mobile casino blackjack pontoon in this mini guide.
Blackjack Pontoon – How to Play Pontoon
Blackjack pontoon is very similar to standard blackjack in the aim of the game. That aim is to get as close to 21 as possible.
A player has a natural pontoon with a face card and an ace. This is the best hand, and results in an automatic win for the player, regardless of the dealer’s hand.
Blackjack Pontoon Terminology
The terminology is slightly different between traditional blackjack and pontoon.
- Twist. (A hit)
- Stick. (Stand)
- Double down rescue. (An early surrender)
- Buy. (Double your bet).
- Five card trick. (The player has five cards equalling 21 or less)
British Pontoon
Ordinarily, British pontoon is the variant which is played at mobile casinos. The payouts for British blackjack pontoon are as follows:
- Natural pontoon: 2:1
- Five card trick: 2:1
- A standard win: 1:1
Specific Rules relating to British blackjack pontoon:
- The dealer must twist on 16 and soft 17
- Up to three hands can be split
- A maximum of five cards can be drawn
- You can only stick on a hand of 15 or more
- The dealer wins any hand which is tied
Australian Pontoon
The most significant differences with Australian blackjack pontoon rules are as follows:
- Dealer must always twist on 17
- You can only split up to two hands
- Double down is only permitted with 9, 10 or 11
There are many different possible payouts in Australian pontoon as you can see below:
- Natural pontoon: 3:1
- Seven card 21: 3:1
- Six card 21: 2:1
- Five card trick: 3:2
- Six, seven and eight of matching suits: 2:1
- Six, seven and eight of different suits: 3:2
- Six, seven and eight in spades: 2:1
- Three sevens of a matching suit: 2:1
- Three sevens of different suits: 3:2
- Three sevens of spades: 3:1
- Standard win: 1:1