For: 2-8 players
Needed: 1 deck of playing cards

Awareness and fast reflexes are skills that will come in handy when playing Slapjack. This easy card game makes for great family fun. Its simple rules and fast game play are good reasons to break out the deck of cards. Slapjack can be a fast-paced game and a great card game for the younger crowd.

Here’s how to play. Begin by dealing out all the cards to the players. It doesn’t matter if all players do not have the same number of cards. Players do not look at the cards. Players create a nice stack with their cards while they place in front of them. Start with whomever you want, and play goes clockwise. The first person places the top card from their deck face up into the middle of the table. The next person does the same. Play continues until a Jack is played. A keen eye must be kept on the pile of cards to watch for the Jack Then the fun begins. The first player to slap their hands onto the Jack takes the stack of cards and places them on the bottom of his/her stack. Chances are pretty good that one than one person will slap for the Jack, but the person whose hand is on the Jack wins the cards. Play continues until a player has all of the cards in the deck.

When a player has no more cards, he/she has until the next Jack is played to get back into the game. If a player with no cards is able to slap the next Jack and gain some cards, then he/she is still in the game. If he/she fails to slap the next Jack, then the player is eliminated. Play continues until eventually only one person is left who has all the cards.

If a player slaps a card that is not a Jack, there is a penalty. The person who slapped the card must give the person whose card they slapped the top card from his/her deck of cards. If the offender does not have a card to give, then they are out of the game.

Slapjack can be a fast paced game as everyone gets into a steady rhythm of playing their cards one after the other. Speed and good reflexes will help players win Slapjack. This entertaining game with its simplicity in rules makes for a great card game for family game night.