Slapjack

Slapjack is played using a standard 52-card pack. It is a fast and simple game that can be played among 2- 8 people.

Slapjack screenshot of the game.
Slapjack

Related: List with all card games

Objective

The aim is to win all of the cards by quickly slapping the deck whenever a Jack is played.

Set-Up

Shuffle the deck and deal the cards, as evenly as possible one at a time, face down to each player. If some players have one more card than others, it is completely okay. The joker cards are not required when playing Slapjack.

Gameplay

The game begins with the player left of the dealer where he/she flips the top card from his/her pile into the middle.

The play continues clockwise to the next player who does the same. The gameplay should be fast-paced.

As the other players take their turn, keep an eye for a Jack to appear, and as soon as you see it, slap the card as quickly as you can.

The aim is to get your hand directly onto the Jack card before any other player.

After Slapping the Jack

The player who slaps the Jack first gets to keep all the cards underneath the Jack. The number of cards played since the last jack depends on the number of cards you win.

The winner of that round then shuffles the new cards with his/her existing cards and starts the pile over again.

If you run out of cards, try and be the first player to slap the Jack in the next round to avoid being eliminated from the game. 

Winning

The game continues until all other players run out of cards, and the player with all the cards in the deck becomes the winner.

Rules

  • If a card is played on top of a jack before a player slaps it, the Jack is missed, and the play continues
  • If a player slaps the middle pile without a Jack on top, the player will have to give one card to the player that played the top card
  • If you can’t decide who slapped the Jack first, the hand closest to the Jack will be termed the winner

Strategies for winning

Be quick and maintain focus

The best strategy to help you win at Slapjack involves cognitive awareness and speed. Ideally, it is important to examine the card carefully before claiming it.

Slapping a card that is not a jack will lead to a penalty, and while a single penalty may not ruin your chance of winning, repeated mistakes will cost you your valuable cards and give your opponents an advantage.

Assign one job to each hand

Another strategy that will help you move faster and swiftly is assigning one job to each hand. For instance, you can use one hand to draw the card and the other hand to slap the Jack when it appears. 

FAQ

How many players can play this game?

You have to be at least 2 and max 8 to play this card game. Check out more fun card games here!

Whats the aim of the game?

To win all fo the cards.

When does the game end?

Untill all the players have lost all their cards.