Pontoon Card Game Rules
Pontoon card game is a blackjack-style 21 game where players try to beat the dealer without going over 21.
Card values match blackjack, but Pontoon 21 can change the deck by removing 10s and can rank certain 21 outcomes for bonus payouts, which shifts decisions compared with standard blackjack.
Those tweaks affect how often strong starting totals appear and how ties settle in practice, so strategy cannot be copied directly from standard blackjack. Treat Pontoon as a rules-defined variant, not just a different name.
What Is Pontoon 21 And How It Differs from Blackjack?
Pontoon blackjack is a close cousin of blackjack, yet common casino rulesets adjust the deck and the hand flow. A widely used format runs with a 48-card deck (all four 10s removed), which changes the density of 10-value outcomes and slightly reshapes how often 21 shows up.
Removing 10s changes the immediate card mix. In a standard deck, 10-value cards appear 16 times in 52 cards (about 30.8%). In a 48-card Pontoon deck with only J, Q, K as 10-value cards, 10-value cards appear 12 times in 48 cards (25.0%).
The two-card Pontoon rate drops as well. With a standard deck, the chance of Ace + 10-value in two cards is about 4.83%: 2 × (4/52) × (16/51). With 10s removed, it falls to about 4.26%: 2 × (4/48) × (12/47). That is roughly a 12% relative drop in two-card Pontoon frequency before any rule variations are considered.
That shift lowers the chance that any single draw is a 10-value card, which is one reason natural-style 21s show up less often than many blackjack players expect.
Pontoon is still a two-card game at heart. An Ace plus any 10-point card (J, Q, K) is Pontoon, and it can trigger an immediate payout under house procedures.
How to Play Pontoon 21: Card Game Rules
A Pontoon 21 round starts with a posted pontoon bet placed in a marked box, then cards are dealt around the table in order.
The baseline regulator ruleset used in this guide has the dealer draw until reaching a hard or soft total of 17 through 21. It also specifies a six- or eight-deck shoe with the four 10s removed from each deck (48 cards per deck). A US casino table games guide also describes Pontoon 21 using 48-card decks (10s removed), which shows how this format appears in operator implementation.
Hand values track blackjack basics: Aces count as 11 unless that would bust, then they count as 1; 2–9 use face value; J/Q/K count as 10.
Player Actions and What They Cost in a Pontoon Bet
Three version checks change decisions fastest. First, confirm whether the game forces hits on low totals. Second, confirm the limits on doubling and splitting, including any restrictions after a split. Third, confirm whether bonus payouts still apply after a double or split, since eligibility rules can change the value of those options.
Splitting and doubling rules vary by version, but the practical issue is eligibility: versions can limit which bonus payouts still apply after a split or double. Treat the bonus ladder eligibility after optional actions as a core rule item, not small print.
Example (two outcomes from the same win): A player wagers $20 and makes 6-7-8 mixed suits, which pays 3:2 on the main wager, returning $30. Outcome A: the hand stays on the main wager and the bonus odds apply. Outcome B: the hand is doubled or split in a version where bonus ladders are not eligible after those options, so the same 6-7-8 win settles at the base win rate instead of 3:2. The decision point is not the cards; it is whether the pontoon rules keep the bonus ladder active after doubles or splits.
The Initial Deal and Early Settlement Bets
A common casino sequence deals players two cards, then the dealer takes an initial card; play moves from the dealer’s left around the table.
Pontoon itself can settle early. Two-card Pontoon is typically paid at 3:2 and may settle immediately under published procedures.
Insurance and surrender rules are version-dependent and should be treated as optional features, not core Pontoon 21 mechanics.
Pontoon Game Hand Rankings and Payouts
Pontoon rules can price ranked 21 outcomes above a standard win, and the ranking order can override “closest to 21 wins.” The payout ladder below is taken from a published US casinos regulator rules document and shows the posted odds and key eligibility limits (see the regulator PDF linked in Sources).
Use the odds and the eligibility notes together; bonus ladders can be restricted after doubles or splits.
| Outcome (winning hand) | Massachusetts payout | Notes (eligibility highlights) |
|---|---|---|
| 6-7-8 (mixed suits) | 3:2 | Bonus odds drop to 1:1 after a double down. |
| 6-7-8 (same suit) | 2:1 | Spades pays higher. Bonus odds drop to 1:1 after a double down. |
| 6-7-8 (spades) | 3:1 | Bonus odds drop to 1:1 after a double down. |
| Three 7s (mixed suits) | 3:2 | Bonus odds drop to 1:1 after a double down. |
| Three 7s (same suit) | 2:1 | Spades pays higher. Bonus odds drop to 1:1 after a double down. |
| Three 7s (spades) | 3:1 | Bonus odds drop to 1:1 after a double down. |
| Five cards totaling 21 | 3:2 | Bonus odds drop to 1:1 after a double down. |
| Six cards totaling 21 | 2:1 | Bonus odds drop to 1:1 after a double down. |
| Seven+ cards totaling 21 | 3:1 | Bonus odds drop to 1:1 after a double down. |
| “Super Bonus” (three suited 7s + dealer upcard is a 7) | +$1,000 or +$5,000; others +$50 | Extra fixed payouts not applicable if doubled down or split. |
Pontoon Blackjack vs. Standard Blackjack: What Changes in Real Play
Pontoon blackjack resembles standard blackjack, but a few rule levers change EV and settlement quickly.
Deck composition is the first driver: versions that remove the four 10s shift 10-value density from 16/52 (30.8%) to 12/48 (25.0%), which reduces the frequency of 20s and two-card 21s.
Hand ranking is the next divider. Pontoon 21 paytables can price different “21” types at different odds, so two players can both reach 21 and still get paid differently. Action limits tighten the decision tree; forced hits on low totals, restricted split outcomes, and fixed-cost “buy” rules change optimal lines.
Tie example: Player reaches 21 in five cards; dealer has a two-card 21. In Pontoon 21, the hand type can outrank the total, so the player’s multi-card 21 can lose to a two-card 21 even though both show 21.
How to Play Pontoon Without Relying on Habits from Blackjack Rooms
Pontoon is close enough to playing blackjack that habits carry over, but the parts that decide outcomes are usually written into the Pontoon 21 rules, not learned at the table.
- Forced action can remove early discretion. Some versions require a hit on totals at or below a set number (often 11), so the first meaningful decision starts higher than many blackjack players expect.
- “Buy” is a fixed-cost choice, not a normal hit sequence. When buying is offered, the extra stake commonly matches the original wager and limits the draw to one card, which changes pacing and locks the hand into a narrower line than repeated twists.
- Ranked 21s can override “same total” thinking. Depending on the table, five-card or multi-card 21s can rank above other 21 outcomes, so settlement can depend on hand type, not the total alone.
- Splits and doubles can be more restricted than blackjack. Split hands may lose access to top-ranked outcomes, and doubling can trigger special settlement rules in some versions, so these options play more like rule-bound tools than free-form aggression.
Rule Variations Inside Pontoon
Before placing a pontoon bet, three checks prevent surprises. Confirm the number of decks, confirm how pontoon and five-card hands pay, and confirm how ties are settled.
Pontoon rules shift quietly from one set of gambling sites to another, even when the game name stays the same. Deck count is the first variable. Many online versions list six or eight decks, with all four 10s removed from each deck, which changes card frequency and the pace of reaching 21.
If 10s are removed, 10-value density drops from 30.8% per draw (16/52) to 25.0% (12/48), which is large enough to change how often 20s and two-card 21s appear across long sessions. A player switching sites can face a different draw profile without noticing it in the lobby.
Payout ladders vary next. Pontoon often pays 3:2, yet five-card and six-card 21 payouts can move between 3:2, 2:1, or fixed odds depending on the operator. Some sites cap the highest-ranked multi-card payouts, others remove them entirely.
The Distinctive Characteristics of Pontoon
Pontoon 21 differs from blackjack in ways that show up in settlement, not slogans. Deck composition changes how often 10-value cards appear, ranked payouts change what “winning 21” means, and bonus eligibility rules can change the value of doubles and splits more than players expect.
Players who slow down long enough to scan those details usually avoid the most common mistakes and play the version that fits their expectations, rather than forcing blackjack logic onto a table that does not support it.
Responsible play: Call 1-800-522-4700 for confidential help.
SOURCE LINK: https://massgaming.com/wp-content/uploads/RULES-Pontoon-21-3-28-25.pdf
https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltc6ce635bc4868eb2/blt0b6dbaca66caa7c6/mgm-national-harbor-casino-table-games-guides-pontoon-21.pdf