Pontoon 21 is a product of Betsoft Gaming. Pontoon 21 is among the many variants of Blackjack games such as Pontoon Blackjack, which is a type of Blackjack game played in Britain; England Blackjack; Australian Blackjack, which is the variant preferred in parts of Australia and elsewhere in Asia; and Spanish 21, which is North American’s preference. Pontoon 21 is also known by other informal names such as Twenty-One and Vingt-et-un. Pontoon 21 borrows its name partly from Ving-et-un, which is a French phrase that means 21. Notable historical figures such as King Louis XV and Bonaparte Napoleon were renowned lovers of older Blackjack versions.

There is no limit for the quantity of players that can participate in a Pontoon 21 game, although the optimal number is between 5 and 8. For an even higher number of players, it is good to use two packs of cards. The Ace has a value of 1 or 11 wherein either of the two options is selected depending on the composition of dealt cards. The values of cards 2 throughout 10 are as showed on the cards; the rest of the cards carry 10 points each.

The aim of the player is to defeat the dealer in edging closer to but not exceeding 21, which is the expected total value of cards. Once the players have staked—the table limit of Pontoon 21 is between 1 and 100—both the players and dealers get two cards each; the players’ cards facing up and dealers’ cards facing down. There are two common winning combinations. First, there is a pontoon, which is a situation wherein a player reaches 21 or nearest to 21 than the rest using two cards; it is declared by cards number 10 and an ace, and leads to the biggest payouts. Secondly, there is the five card trick, which comprises of five cards whose total values amount to 21. Both the pontoon and the trick attract payments of 2 to 1.

Pontoon 21: Game Review
Despite the several unique rules associated with it, Pontoon 21 game will appeal to the fans of the original Blackjack game. A bad thing about Pontoon 21 is that all ties favor the dealer. Another negative thing results from the OBO, which means Original Bets Only, whereby Pontoon 21 players lose the said bets in case the dealers have blackjacks; a worse suchlike fate also befalls players wherein they lose all bets, specifically concerning European No Hole Card (ENHC) rule. This might have been less serious if it was random; unfortunately, a dealer often peeps through a hole card to determine the possibility in the case of OBO. The interface is not universal because it common to see one fitted with a “Buy x2” and another “Double” yet they mean the same. Moreover, the words on the buttons of Pontoon 21 such as “stick” and “twist” are sometimes substituted with “stay” and “hit”.

Pontoon 21: Game strategy
A strategy for players is sticking after scoring over 17, and twisting for 15 or thereabout. Another tactic is splitting aces; however, splitting card 10 and royal cards can prove to be counterproductive. In case a player has no more cash for betting it is advisable to avoid signing IOU documents, which acknowledge debts. The house edge of Pontoon 21 depends on various variables such as number of decks and the varying rules used, although it is in the range of 0.38% based on the default rules of the game.