Slap Jack Rules: How To Play, Setup, 2, 3, 4 Players

Slap and collect all 52 cards before the others beat you to the win! Wondering what game we are on about? Don’t worry, we will explain. The game we are talking about is called Slapjack, and today, we are going to learn about Slap Jack rules so that you and your buddies have something new to look forward to on your next ‘cards game night.’

Although it sounds like Blackjack, this game is far from being a typical card game. Players must always be on their toes, and their reflexes play a crucial role in this game. But why do you need to be on the edge of your seat for a card game? Keep reading to find out!

How To Play Slapjack Card Game?

To play Slapjack, you need two or more players, a regular deck of 52 playing cards (including the Joker, which you can remove from the deck), and a flat playing surface. Then, a dealer is appointed to distribute the entire deck equitably amongst all the players. 

Remember, the ‘Jack’ plays a pivotal role in this game—it is the primary card with a particular function! Whenever a Jack card turns up, players must quickly slap their palms facing down on the card. The first to slap the card takes the entire discard pile created until the Jack is played. The first player to collect all 52 cards is declared the winner. Interesting, right?

Objective

Unlike most card games, Slapjack’s objective is to accumulate all the cards instead of shedding them. In short, it isn’t a shedding card game. Here, the player who manages to collect all 52 playing cards first wins. 

Although it sounds relatively simple, winning in Slapjack is much more tricky, and you realize that only once you start playing the game. Now, it’s time to learn the slap Jack rules in detail.

Slap Jack Rules

Slapjack is a simple game—turn your cards and slap the Jack at the right time before everyone else does while following slapjack rules. That is the premise of the game. However, certain rules must be followed when having fun with this wonderful card game. Some of these rules have been explained below. So, keep reading!

Setup

A regular deck of playing cards is distributed face-down between the players (2+) by the dealer. None of the players can look at their hands or cards. The player to the dealer’s immediate left starts the game by turning over the top card of their deck and placing it at the center of the table. But there is a catch here.

Players cannot turn their card and see it before playing it because doing so gives them an unfair advantage. To remove this, the slap Jack rules dictate that players must drag out their card from the top and flip it outside, towards the centre of the table. This way, when the card is placed on the table, all players get to see the card at the same time—including the player who just played the card. 

General Rules Of Slap Jack Card Game

Once the setup is complete, the game begins with the player to the dealer’s immediate left. The slapjack rules to be followed when playing are as follows:

• The game proceeds clockwise, with the player starting first to the immediate left of the dealer. You can change this and start with a toss or some decider to see who goes first. In our case, we assumed the player to the dealer’s left began first.
• As per the slap Jack rules, players cannot look at their cards once the dealer hands them out. 
• When playing their turn, a player must drag the top card from their deck (all cards facing down) from the top and flip it towards the table. This way, all players at the table (including the player whose turn it is) get to see the card simultaneously.
• Players must rush to ‘Slap The Jack’ if the card is a Jack. The first player to slap the Jack wins the card. If it is not a Jack and any other card, the game continues with the next player playing their turn, and so on.
• If multiple players slap the Jack card, the player who slapped the Jack first or the player whose hand touches the Jack at the bottom wins the round.
• If a player slaps a Jack before everyone else, they get to keep the Jack and all cards accumulated at the center of the table (the discard pile) until the Jack is played. The game then proceeds as usual.
• After collecting all the cards from the discard pile, the player must turn them face down and put them at the bottom of their pile without shuffling the cards. 
• After each successful slap, one round is over. The player who slapped Jack starts the next round by flipping their top card. 
• If a player mistakenly slaps a card that is not a Jack, he is penalized per slapjack rules.
• If a player runs out of cards to play, their turn of flipping cards is skipped. However, they can still slap Jack and collect all the cards played before it, including the Jack cards.

Penalties

As we mentioned, Slap jack card game is a simple game to learn with only a handful of rules, but it’s a lot of fun! So far, you have learned the slap Jack rules – how to play, how to win, what to do, etc. In this section of the article, we will tell you what happens when you ‘slap’ a wrong card, i.e. a card that is not a Jack:

• If you slap a card other than a Jack, you must give your top card face-down to the player who played the Jack. 
• You are eliminated from the game if you have run out of cards and slap the wrong card (not a Jack).
• Also, you are eliminated if you run out of cards and a Jack is played, but another player beats you to the slap.

Slap jack Card Game Variations

Played enough of the standard version of Slapjack? Looking for something more exciting? We have you covered. This section will discuss the different variations and modulations you can make to Slapjack to make it more interesting. Some of these variations are:

• Play To 10 – In this version of the game, players are to slap the card when the top card and the last flipped card add up to a total of 10. To play this version, take out all face-numbered cards and aces, with the aces counted as ‘1’. 
• Count & Match – This is another unusual but widely loved version of the game. The game proceeds clockwise, with each player counting up from 1-10 on their respective turns (for example, the first player calls out ‘1’ and flips a 5, and the second player calls out ‘2’ and flips a 9). The game proceeds as usual, and the players call out ascendingly while flipping the cards. When the number called out by any player matches the number on the card they have flipped (let’s say a player calls out 4, and the card they flipped is also 4), everyone needs to slap the card. The first player to slap gets the entire pile accumulated till then. They must add these cards to the bottom of their pile without shuffling face-down per the slapjack rules.

Winning

You must be attentive, focused, and sharp to win at Slapjack. You must stay on the edge of your seat so that you never miss a slap. The first player to collect all 52 cards wins the game. Simple, right?

Did You Know?

• The Slap Jack card game was discovered in the 19th century and is said to have been influenced by earlier card games like Beggar-My-Neighbour.
• The UK has its version of the game, Snap. Instead of slapping the card, they yell out, “Snap!”
• Slap jack card game is a popular household game in the United States. Many people have their own slap Jack rules – house rules!
• Slapjack has shown promise in helping children develop reflexes, cognitive skills, memory, and the ability to recognize numbers quickly.
• Although a regular deck of cards is all you need to play Slapjack, some commercial versions of this game have been specifically designed for kids.

FAQs

Conclusion

In this day and age, people have very little time to learn a new game. We at Play With Rules look to simplify and break down your favorite games, making them twice as fun and easy. Now that you know how to play Slapjack while following slap Jack rules, how about another fun game? Stay connected with “Play With Rules” because the fun should never end!

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