Twenty-One is a centuries-old gambling card game that later developed into popular casino games such as Pontoon and blackjack. Anyone who has played either already knows its central idea: get as close to 21 as you can, or hit it exactly, without going over.
The game has a banker and several punters. One player takes the role of banker, and the bank rotates around the table unless the casino supplies a staff member to act as banker. Punters stake either before the cards are dealt, or after seeing their first card and before receiving their second. They can then ask the banker for a third card free of charge, or “buy” it by raising their stake.
Beyond these basics, rules vary from venue to venue, and several countries have their own versions, including the French Vingt-et-Un and the German Siebzehn und Vier.
From Twenty-One to the blackjack lobby
Online blackjack titles are standardised descendants of the game, with the house always acting as banker. Pontoon and other regional variants still appear as separate RNG games and add variety to a table games section.