Objective
Be the fastest to slap every jack that turns up. Each jack you win brings the whole center pile with it. Players who run out of cards get one last chance, and the game goes on until one player holds the entire deck.
Setup
Deal the whole deck face down, one card at a time, as evenly as it goes. It is fine if some players get one card more than others.
Each player squares their cards into a face-down pile in front of them without looking at them. Clear a space in the middle of the table that everyone can reach easily.
How to play
Starting on the dealer’s left and going clockwise, each player turns the top card of their pile face up onto the center pile. Turn the card away from yourself, so you do not see it before everyone else does.
The moment a jack lands, everyone tries to slap it. The first player to get a hand on it takes the whole center pile and puts it face down under their own pile.
If you slap a card that is not a jack, you pay a penalty: give one card from the top of your pile, face down, to the player who turned the card you slapped.
- 1Turn your top card away from you onto the center
- 2Slap the moment a jack appears
- 3First hand on the jack takes the whole pile
- 4Slap the wrong card and pay one card as a penalty
Winning
There are no points. When you run out of cards, you are not out yet: you stay at the table and may slap the next jack that appears. Win it and you are back in with the pile. If someone else gets to it first, you are out of the game.
Play continues until one player has won all the cards. That player wins. If the game runs long, agree on a time limit and give the win to whoever holds the most cards when time is up.
Variations
Slap doubles: also slap when two cards of the same rank land one after the other. This borrows a rule from Egyptian Rat Screw and keeps everyone more alert.
Sandwiches: slap when two cards of the same rank are separated by one other card, such as a seven, a king, then another seven.
Top and bottom: slap when the card just turned matches the rank of the card at the bottom of the center pile. Like doubles and sandwiches, this comes from Egyptian Rat Screw.
Tips from the table
Keep your slapping hand resting near the pile, palm down, not in your lap. The extra few inches make all the difference.
Turn your cards quickly and keep the rhythm going. Your hand is already over the pile when you turn, so your own turn is a good moment to be ready.
Watch the card, not the other players’ hands. Flinching at a fake slap is the easiest way to pay a penalty card.
Video Guides Are on the Way
We’re filming Game Guides that walk through full hands at the table, from the deal to the score.
Frequently asked
What if two players slap the jack at the same time?
The player whose hand is directly on the jack wins. Anyone whose hand landed on top of another hand loses out.
What happens if I slap a card that is not a jack?
Give one card from your pile, face down, to the player who turned up the card you slapped.
Am I out when I run out of cards?
Not straight away. You can still slap the next jack to get back in. If you miss that jack, you are out.
Why turn the card away from me?
So you cannot see it a split second before everyone else. Turning it away keeps the race fair.
New rules every month
Get the next game before it hits the site.
