Official Rules of Pontoon

1. Definitions

In this division unless the contrary intention appears:

“Box” means an area on the pontoon table layout designated for the placement of wagers;

“Hard Total” means the point total of a hand which contains no aces or which contains one or more aces, each of which is counted as 1 in value;

“Initial Deal” means the dealing of the first two cards to each player and the first card to the dealer;

“Insurance Wager” means an optional additional wager which may be made by a player in accordance with section 10;

“Pontoon” means an ace and any card having a point value of 10 dealt as the initial two cards to a player or a dealer;

“Round” means a period of play beginning when the first card is removed from the shoe by the dealer and ending when all the cards are collected by the dealer and placed in the discard rack;

“Soft Total” means the point total of a hand containing an ace when the ace is counted as 11 in value; and

“Surrender” means the dealer’s offer to the player of the option to forfeit half the player’s original wager, after any interim settlement, and prior to any further cards being dealt where the dealer has a jack, queen, king or ace as a first card.

2. Application

The rules contained in this division, together with the general rules contained in Division 1, shall apply to the game of pontoon.

3. Table Layout and Equipment

3.1 Pontoon shall be played at a table having on one side up to seven boxes for the players and on the opposite side a place for the dealer. Each pontoon table shall have a drop box attached to it.

3.2 The layout cloth covering the pontoon table shall:

(a) have areas designated for the placement of wagers;

(b) bear inscriptions to the following effect:

(i) pontoon pays 3 to 2,

(ii) dealer must draw to a hard total of 16 or a soft total of 17, and

(iii) insurance pays 2 to 1; and

(c) be marked in a manner substantially similar to that shown in appendix 1.

3.3 The following equipment shall also be used in the game:

(a) four to eight 48 card decks (having had the four tens removed from each deck i.e. ten of hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs);

(b) one or (at the option of the casino operator) two cutting cards;

(c) a card shoe capable of holding all of the cards used in the game;

(d) a discard rack capable of holding all of the cards used in the game; and

(e) at the option of the casino operator, an automatic shuffler capable of holding four to eight 48 card decks of cards.

3.4 Where an automatic shuffler is used, two sets of four to eight 48 card decks, each set a different color shall be used in the game.

4. Playing Cards

4.1 The point value of the playing cards used in the game shall be as follows:

(a) a card from two to nine inclusive shall have its face value;

(b) a jack, queen or Togel Hongkong king shall have a value of 10; and

(c) an ace shall have a value of 11 except:

(i) where that would give a player or the dealer a point total of more than 21, in which case it shall have the value of 1, or

(ii) when doubling down, in which case any ace contained in the player’s initial deal shall have the value of 1.

4.2 No player or spectator shall handle, alter or withdraw any card used in the game, except as expressly permitted by these rules, and no dealer or other person shall permit a player or spectator to do so. The dealer shall at all times deal the cards.

5. Wagers

5.1 Before the first card is dealt in a round, each player shall make a wager against the dealer which shall:

(a) win if the player’s point total is less than 21 and the dealer’s exceeds 21;

(b) win if the player’s point total exceeds the dealer’s without either exceeding 21;

(c) win if the player achieves pontoon;

(d) win if the player’s point total is 21;

(e) except as provided in subparagraphs (c) and (d), constitute a stand off if the player’s point total is the same as the dealer’s;

(f) lose if the player’s point total exceeds 21;

(g) lose if the dealer’s point total exceeds the player’s without either exceeding 21.

5.2 All wagers shall be made by placing chips, with the smaller denomination chips on top, in the appropriate wager area of the pontoon layout.

5.3 Orally declared wagers shall be accepted only when accompanied by chips and if the dealer has enough time to place the wager on the layout before “No more bets” is called.

5.4 All winning wagers made in accordance with rule 5.1 shall be paid at odds as outlined in section 11.

5.5 Except as expressly permitted by these rules, once the dealer has called “No more bets” and the first card of any round has been removed from the shoe, no player shall:

(a) make any wager; or

(b) handle, alter or withdraw any wager until a decision has been made and implemented with respect to the wager, and no dealer or other person shall permit any player to do so.

5.6 Except as expressly permitted by these rules, once an optional wager (being an insurance, double down or split pairs wager) has been made and has been confirmed by the dealer, no player shall handle, alter or withdraw such wager until a decision has been made and implemented with respect to it, and no dealer or other person shall permit any player to do so.

5.7 No player shall handle, alter or withdraw a losing wager. Except as expressly permitted by these rules, a winning wager may not be collected until the dealer has completed the payment of all winning wagers in the box.

5.8 The casino operator may limit any person:

(a) who has not made a wager on the first round of a shoe; or

(b) who, after placing a wager on a round, declines to place a wager on any subsequent round,

to wagering only the amount of the minimum wager applicable to the table until the cards are reshuffled and a new shoe is begun.