Pontoon is a card game thought to have originated in France, where it is known as vingt-et-un. In the USA it is known as Blackjack. The object of the game is to beat the dealer's hand by drawing cards which don't exceed a total of 21. In Bus Stop Pontoon, the 'cards' are bus stops. The 'dealer's hand' is the unknown point at which the bus arrives.

The game of Bus Stop Pontoon, although it starts at a bus stop, can be played by anyone - even if they don't want to catch a bus.

Assuming a bus isn't at a bus stop when you get there, you start to walk to the next stop. This is called the 'twist'. If you are lucky or skilful, you reach the next stop before the bus roars past you. Then you make your decision again. If you decide to 'twist', you must walk on to the next stop; 'stick', and you must wait for the bus. If the bus flies past you while you're between stops, you 'bust'. The game then starts again. Play the game until you actually catch a bus, or you find you've walked to your destination, saved some money, and given your body some healthy exercise.

As with all good games, there are several levels of play.

• Novice
  Look at your watch and the bus timetable whenever you want.

• Intermediate
  You can only check your watch and the timetable while at a bus stop.

• Expert
  You can only look at your watch and the timetable at the first bus stop.