Much like Blackjack, Pontoon is a gambling game that can be traced back to the French game Ving-et-un, or Twenty-One. Because of the shared heritage, the two games have some similarities, though it is in their differences that makes each variation stand out.

Pontoon is played by at least two players using a standard 52 card deck. Anywhere from five to eight players is considered ideal however, though additional decks may be shuffled together to accommodate more than eight players. In casinos, up to eight decks are shuffled together and dealt from a shoe or continuous shuffling machine.

In casual play, one player is designated the banker, while in casinos the house takes the role of the banker. Players are also sometimes called punters. The goal of each punter is to have a higher card total than the banker, without going over 21.

Card totals are determined by the values of the cards in the hand, with aces counting as either one or eleven, tens, jacks, queens and kings counting as ten, and all other cards equal to their face value. Suits do not play a role in Pontoon. In the event of a tie, the banker wins.

The best hand possible is called a Pontoon, which is 21 points in two cards. This is an ace and any other card worth ten points. A Five Card Trick is the second best hand possible, and consists of a hand of five cards with a total value of 21 or less. Next best hand is a hand with three or four cards that total 21 points. Hands that are less than five cards, with less than a value of 21 are ranked according to their total value, while hands that total more than 21 are bust and automatically lose.

Each round begins with the banker dealing one card to each player face down, starting with the player immediately to the left of the banker, with the banker receiving a card last. All players except the banker may then look at their card, after which each player places their initial bet in the order that they received their card.

Once all players have placed their initial bets, the banker then deals another card to each player. All players including the banker may then look at their cards. If, at this time, the banker has a Pontoon, all players automatically lose.

If the banker doesn’t have a Pontoon, each player then takes a turn in the same order that the cards were dealt, with several options available for the player.

The first possible option for a player is to declare a Pontoon if they have an ace and a ten-point card in hand. This is done by putting both cards on the table, with ten point card face down, and the ace face up on top of it.

If a players first two cards are equal in rank, the player can choose to split the cards into two separate hands. This is done by placing both cards on the table face up, and placing an amount equal to the initial bet to cover the second hand. The player may then play both hands separately from each other. If the second card dealt to either or both new hands are also equal in rank, they may be split again, though some casinos have limits on the number of times a player may split hands in a round.

A player may buy a third card, adding an amount of at least equal to the initial bet, but not more than twice the initial bet. The banker then deals a third card face down. If the player’s hand value is still below 21, the player may then buy a fourth card, increasing their bet by at least the initial bet, and at most the value of the previous amount. A fifth card may also be bought in the same manner.

If the player’s cards total less than 21, they may also ask for another card. This is called a Twist, and does not affect the total bet for the hand. The banker then gives another card face up to that player. The player may ask for a fourth and fifth card in this way, so long as their card total is less than 21. A player that buys a card may choose to add cards to their hand by twisting, but a player that has chosen for the next card to be twisted can no longer buy cards for the hand.

At any time, when buying or twisting a card, that the hand’s total value goes above 21, the player’s hand becomes a bust, and loses the hand. The player must throw their cards face up, and the banker takes the bet for that hand, and places the cards at the bottom of the pack.

A player may stick, and stay with the cards already in the hand if the total value of the cards is 15 or greater. The bet remains, and the player then waits for the other players and the banker to take their turns.

Once all the punters have completed their turns, the banker’s two cards are turned face up. At this point, the punters’ cards remain face down, or held in hand, with only hands that have declared Pontoon or gone bust visible, along with any cards that have been twisted. The banker may then add cards to the hand, dealing them face up.

In casual play, there are no rules for the banker to follow, and they may add as many cards as they wish. Casinos however have certain rules for bankers to follow in regards to when an additional card should be added, and when the banker stays. For example, some casinos require the banker to stay on a 17.

If the banker goes bust, the dealer loses and automatically pays out players the amount equal to their total bet, paying double to those hands that are either a Pontoon or Five Card Trick.

If the banker stays on a 21 or less, and has less than five cards, total hand values are compared between the dealer and each player. Players with a higher total hand value are paid by the dealer, while players who have equal or less total value lose their bets to the banker. Players with Pontoons and Five Card Tricks receive double their bet from the dealer.

If the banker makes a Five Card Trick, then the dealer pays only those who have Pontoons, who receive double their bet. All others lose their bets to the dealer.

There are many different variations of Pontoon, with differences ranging from how many times players may split, to those with special bonuses, as well as those with special actions that players may take during the game. This does not only apply to casual games, and casinos often have special variations that cannot be found elsewhere, with additional rules, bonuses and incentives for play.

While not as popular in the United States as Blackjack, Pontoon is popular in other parts of the world, such as in Australia and the United Kingdom. With the advent of online casinos, more people are exposed to the game, giving players in online casinos another game they can try out and enjoy.