Pontoon uses four to eight Spanish decks, each deck consisting of 48 cards — the regular 52 cards, less the four tens. Any card counter can tell you that removing any 10-point card from the cards favors the dealer. To make up for this, Pontoon gives to the player a host of bonuses and favorable rules. The following rules are consistent to Pontoon, across Australia.
Fixed Rules
Dealer hits soft 17.
Double after split allowed.
Dealer does not take a hole card.
Player may double on 9 to 11 only. If player were to double on a soft hand, the ace would be forced to count as 1.
Player may take "late surrender." If the dealer has a ten or ace up, a laminated marker saying "surrender" will be put on the player's bet. In the event the dealer gets a blackjack, the player will lose the entire bet.
A player 21 or blackjack wins immediately.
Player may surrender after doubling, known as "double down rescue." The player forfeits an amount equal to his original bet. The surrender is adjudicated immediately, so it is like early surrender.
A five-card 21 pays 3 to 2, a six-card 21 pays 2 to 1, a seven-or-more-card-21 pays 3 to 1. However, the bonuses are not paid if the player doubled.
A 6-7-8 or 7-7-7 of mixed suits pays 3 to 2, of the same suit pays 2 to 1, and of spades pays 3 to 1. These bonuses do not pay after doubling.
Suited 7-7-7, when the dealer has a seven face up, pays $1000 for bets of $5-$24 and $5000 for bets of $25 or over. In addition, all other players receive a $50 "envy bonus." This bonus does not pay after doubling or splitting.
The European no-hole-card rule strongly favors the player in Pontoon. This is because a player 21 automatically wins, even if the dealer gets a blackjack. In American Spanish 21, the dealer blackjack beats anything except a player blackjack, depressing the player's odds.
Variable Rules
Four to eight Spanish decks.
Hole-card rule. There are various possibilities, which are explained below.
Number of splits allowed, either one or two.
Resplitting aces may or may not be allowed.
Doubling may be allowed with any number of cards, or only two.