Have you ever gotten a five-card hand in blackjack—without busting—and thought you should get rewarded for such an achievement? Pontoon 21 does just that. This fun version of blackjack (not to be confused with Australian Pontoon) has a totally different set of rules than standard online blackjack. In Canada and the States, most blackjack variants follow fairly standard formats that we’ve all become familiar with.
If you’re ready to bust out of those blackjack shackles and try something new, carry on reading this guide to playing Pontoon 21. In addition to offering totally different rules, this game includes some spicy side bets and a bonus pay for getting the aforementioned five-card hand.
Our version of Pontoon 21 is designed by BetSoft and re-creates the brick-and-mortar casino vibe with a green-felt tabletop and leather surround. The jazzy background music accompanied by light murmurings of casino players mingling in the background will transport you to a cozy gambling den from the movies.
Blackjack fans who like to shake things up will appreciate this novel version of the tried-and-true casino classic. We’ll explain how everything works, so you can hit the ground running when you launch a session today. To fully appreciate the game, you need to know how the rules differ from blackjack.
Just like with a regular blackjack game, Pontoon 21 pits you against the dealer in a battle of who has the higher score. You can build your hand up to 21; anything over that is a bust for you and the dealer. As for the dealer’s goal, they’ll stand with a hard 17 and hit with a soft 17.
Both you and the dealer start with a two-card hand dealt from an eight-deck shoe. Your hand is placed face-up in front of you while both of the dealer’s cards are face-down (similar to European Blackjack) at the top of the board. Because of this, you won’t get to factor in the dealer’s up-card when figuring out your moves. Also remember that, unlike blackjack, Pontoon 21 has more decks in the shoe. With more decks, the house’s edge is lowered considerably.
The dealer also gets to sneak a peek for “Pontoon” (the Blackjack hand) right away and will flip the hand immediately if there is one. Card values are the same as blackjack.
There are some notable differences with the moves you can make that you’ll want to be aware of before playing. You can stand, but only on a total of 15 or more, or if you have a five-card hand. You can hit when you want—even after doubling down; this rule is a real bonus compared to blackjack, where after you double, you’re dealt one final card and then forced to stand.
Doubling can happen once per hand and with a maximum of four cards. You can double once for split hands too, but split hands can’t be re-split.
Most of the time, rounds will end with both your hand and the dealer’s getting tallied, and the one with the higher score getting declared the winner—up to 21 points max. Regular payouts are 1 to 1. But keep in mind, this is most of the time; there are two hands that outrank a higher score that’s under 22.
First, is the Pontoon, otherwise known as Blackjack (Ace and 10-point card). A perfect score of 21 with two cards is the best you can hope for both in blackjack and Pontoon 21. The best part of the latter, however, is that even if you split hands and get 21, it counts as a Pontoon. A bonus pay of 2 to 1 is awarded if you hit a Pontoon.
Second, a five-card hand that is under 22 points is the second-best hand to have in Pontoon 21. This is rare, but when it happens, it’s a lot of fun. A 2 to 1 payout is issued to the winner with this unique combination of cards.
Sometimes you and the dealer will tie. In this scenario, the dealer actually wins. Better luck next hand.
Winning Payouts:
1:1 for a winning hand
2:1 for a two-card Pontoon or a five-card trick
Looking for something on the side? Pontoon 21 has a special suite of side bets called the Sweet 16 side bets that you can tap into every round. These make the game more dynamic, offering additional chances to score wins while enjoying the main game.
You need to put down a bet on the Sweet 16 side bets circle before the round begins to be eligible for the payouts. You get paid based on the first two cards dealt to you if your score is between 16-21 points, or you have one or two Aces. Get your money back if you land a pair (must be between 2 and 7). The payouts are as follows:
16-21 Points
Earn a 1 to 1 payout if your initial two-card hand counts for between 16 and 21 points.
One Ace
Earn a 1 to 1 payout if your initial two-card hand includes an Ace.
Two Aces
Earn a 2 to 1 payout if your initial two-card hand includes two Aces.
Pair of 2s-7s
If your initial two-card hand includes a pair of Twos, Threes, Fours, Fives, Sixes or Sevens, you get your Sweet 16 side bet back as a Push.
The best way to learn a new casino game is to dive in to the action on Bodog’s online casino. Follow these steps to begin a session of Pontoon 21 right now.
Sign in to your Bodog Account:
Log in to your Bodog account if you have one already. If not, sign up for one with our quick and easy registration form. This will get you access to all of our online casino games.
Launch Session:
Go into the Blackjack section of our online casino and find Pontoon 21. Launch a session in Practice Play risk-free or Real Play if you want real dollars on the line.
Place Your Bets:
Choose your bet amount for the main hands and the Sweet 16 side bets. The betting range is $1 to $100 for both.
Play Multiple Hands:
You can play up to three hands at once for maximum excitement. Take the whole table—we don’t mind.
Hit or Stand:
Decide whether to hit, stand, double down or split based on your hand’s total. You’ll see immediately if you’ve won the Sweet 16 side bet.
Goal:
Aim for a Pontoon, a five-card trick, or simply a score high enough to beat the dealer without busting. To repeat the same bet for the next round use the “Repeat” button. Otherwise, hit “Clear” and start fresh with a new stake.
With a $1 minimum bet and $100 maximum, this game is accessible for everyone, from beginners to pros. Play at your own pace and within your own budget.
The regular basic blackjack strategy found on charts online are not ideally suited for Pontoon 21. With so many rule changes, the strategy is different enough to warrant its own unique strategy chart. First and foremost, you’ll need to consider the total cards in your hand combined with your score. If you have a score between 18 to 21, that’s great—always stand. The risk is not worth trying to increase your score, even with 18 points.
A score of 17 is trickier. If you have just two or three cards, it’s best to stand. If you have four cards, the temptation is to hit for the chance of getting a five-card trick. We say go for it!
That goes doubly so for scores of 15 and 16. Starting at 15, you’re allowed to stand and should if you have just two or three cards in your hand. Double down if you’ve got four to try and make a five-card trick.
Scores of 14 and less are generally not strong enough to win. You’ll need to hit, or double down. Double down is generally advised when you have four cards and have not busted, or even with two or three cards when you’ve got 10 or 11, with the hope of landing Pontoon and winning 2 to 1.
Soft hands are a whole other ball game. You definitely want to stand when you have an Ace paired with an Eight, Nine or Ten. If you have the same soft score but with three or four cards, you may want to double. Below that (A,7 and lower), depends on how many cards are in your hand. Four cards is almost always worth a double to see if you can get that fifth, but if you have two or three, a regular hit is better. Keep in mind the exception of a pair of Eights and a pair of Aces, which like in regular blackjack, should always be split.
To help guide beginners, Pontoon 21 has prompts built in that ask if you’re sure when you make a questionable move. For example, if you try to hit on a 19, it will prompt you in case it was a mistake. At that point, you can choose to go forward, or change your mind. If you plan on going off course and the prompts become a nuisance, click “Don’t Show Again.” And because Pontoon 21 assumes people may not always remember the five-card trick bonus, there’s software that won’t let you hit on a five-card hand—that the game’s big winner.
Pontoon 21 is gaining a lot of traction with our blackjack players for good reason. Beyond simply getting to test your blackjack prowess with a new variety, there are many player-friendly rules included in Pontoon 21 that you won’t find in regular blackjack.
One of the big ones is with landing Blackjack/Pontoon. When you play regular blackjack, getting dealt a Blackjack after splitting doesn’t count as Blackjack; you’re paid 1 to 1. Don’t worry about that hiccup with Pontoon 21, where landing a Pontoon after splitting counts for the 2 to 1 payout.
Another big draw when playing Pontoon 21 is simply the freedom of being able to hit after doubling and double after splitting your hands. Only in Pontoon 21 can you get away with so many random moves.
The eight-deck shoe is another player friendly rule to consider. More decks mean more chances at landing a five-card trick; it’s a bit of a mental adjustment after seeking out smaller shoes with fewer decks when looking for blackjack.
On top of these player friendly rules, you’ll also find that the five-card trick creates an interesting layer of consideration when playing out your hands. There’s certainly more emphasis on hitting which leads to a more fun and exciting session.
We could talk about the benefits of Pontoon 21 until the cows come home, but the best way to see for yourself is to launch a risk-free trial today. Practice Play initiates a session with $1,000 in fun money and lets you play the exact same way you would if you had deposited real funds. Get a sense of how smooth the gameplay is and how interesting the alternative rules are. This is a blackjack variant that really lives up to the hype and we think you’ll agree after giving it a spin.