Pontoon
How to Play
Think of Pontoon as Blackjack's British cousin with a few twists. The biggest difference? Both of the dealer's cards are face-down, so you are playing with less information. The upside: a natural 21 (called a "Pontoon") pays 2:1 instead of 3:2, and if you manage to get five cards without busting, that five-card trick also pays 2:1. Those boosted payouts more than make up for the hidden dealer cards.
You must hit on 14 or below, the dealer hits soft 17, and you can double ("buy") on hands of 2, 3, or 4 cards. That last part is a big deal — in regular Blackjack you can only double on your first two cards. In Pontoon, you can double even after taking a third card if your total still looks promising. These rules give Pontoon one of the best RTPs at 99.6%.
All eight side bets from Blackjack are here too, with the same paytables and the same independent evaluation. The five-card trick adds an interesting wrinkle: when you are sitting on four cards with a low total, you might hit for the 2:1 five-card bonus even when you would normally stand. It gives Pontoon a different feel from Blackjack despite sharing the same core goal of beating the dealer to 21.
Side Bets
21+3
Your first two cards + dealer's up-card form a three-card poker hand.
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Suited Trips | 100:1 |
| Straight Flush | 40:1 |
| Three of a Kind | 25:1 |
| Straight | 10:1 |
| Flush | 5:1 |
Perfect Pairs
First two cards form a pair. Closer suit/colour match = bigger payout.
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Perfect Pair (same suit) | 25:1 |
| Colored Pair (same colour) | 12:1 |
| Mixed Pair (different colour) | 6:1 |
Lucky Ladies
First two cards total 20. Queen of Hearts pair with dealer blackjack tops the table.
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| QH Pair + Dealer BJ | 1000:1 |
| Queen of Hearts Pair | 125:1 |
| Matched 20 | 19:1 |
| Suited 20 | 9:1 |
| Unsuited 20 | 4:1 |
Buster Blackjack
Pays when the dealer busts. More cards drawn before busting = bigger payout.
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| 8+ card bust | 250:1 |
| 7 card bust | 50:1 |
| 6 card bust | 12:1 |
| 5 card bust | 6:1 |
| 4 card bust | 2:1 |
| 3 card bust | 2:1 |
Lucky Lucky
Your two cards + dealer's up-card. Suited 7-7-7 tops the chart.
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Suited 7-7-7 | 200:1 |
| Suited 6-7-8 | 100:1 |
| Unsuited 7-7-7 | 50:1 |
| Unsuited 6-7-8 | 30:1 |
| Suited 21 | 10:1 |
| Unsuited 21 | 3:1 |
| Total 20 | 2:1 |
| Total 19 | 2:1 |
Royal Match
First two cards same suit. Suited King-Queen is the Royal Match.
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Royal Match (suited K-Q) | 25:1 |
| Any Suited Pair | 2.5:1 |
Match the Dealer
Match the dealer's up-card rank with one or both of your first two cards.
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Two Suited Matches | 22:1 |
| One Suited Match | 9:1 |
| Two Unsuited Matches | 8:1 |
| One Unsuited Match | 4:1 |
Super Sevens
Stack sevens for big payouts. Three suited 7s = 5000:1.
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Three Suited 7s | 5000:1 |
| Three Unsuited 7s | 500:1 |
| Two Suited 7s | 100:1 |
| Two Unsuited 7s | 50:1 |
| First Card is a 7 | 3:1 |
Millionaire Mode
Add a $1 side bet for a shot at $1,000,000. Seven cards are evaluated for the spade straight flush: 8♠ 9♠ 10♠ J♠ Q♠ K♠ A♠. The first 7 cards dealt from the shoe are evaluated — your cards, the dealer's cards, and additional shoe positions as needed.
| Matching Cards | Payout |
|---|---|
| 7 of 7 — Complete Straight Flush | $1,000,000 |
| 6 of 7 | $3,000 |
| 5 of 7 | $200 |
| 4 of 7 | $15 |
| 3 of 7 | $8 |
| 2 of 7 | $1 |
Provably Fair
Those face-down dealer cards might seem mysterious, but they are locked in before you bet. SHA-256 hashing means the server commits to every card before the hand starts. After the round, you can verify it all yourself. The dealer cannot change what is underneath those hidden cards based on your decisions — the cryptographic proof guarantees it.
The verification is straightforward: the server shows you a hash before the hand, then reveals the original seed after. Hash the seed yourself and compare. If it matches, every card in the deal was determined before you acted. Your own client seed adds randomness the server cannot predict, and a nonce increments each round to prevent any form of seed reuse. One verification covers the main hand, all eight side bets, and the Millionaire Mode evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Pontoon different from Blackjack?
Both dealer cards are face-down, natural 21 pays 2:1, and there is a five-card trick bonus (five cards under 21 pays 2:1). The dealer also hits on soft 17, and you must hit on 14 or below.
What is a five-card trick?
If you collect five cards without going over 21, that is a five-card trick and it pays 2:1. It does not matter what the individual cards are as long as the total stays at 21 or under.
Does Pontoon have side bets?
All eight of them, same as Blackjack: 21+3, Perfect Pairs, Lucky Ladies, Buster Blackjack, Lucky Lucky, Royal Match, Match the Dealer, and Super Sevens.
How does Millionaire Mode work?
Same as Blackjack. A $1 side bet checks the first 7 shoe cards for the spade straight flush (8 through Ace). Seven hits pays $1,000,000.
Is the 99.6% RTP real?
Yes, under optimal strategy. The 2:1 natural payout and five-card trick bonus more than compensate for the face-down dealer cards.
Are the face-down cards really fair?
The SHA-256 provably fair system commits to all cards before you bet. The dealer cards are not chosen after the fact. Verify any hand from the game history.
