How to play Black Jack, the UK card game
Black Jack is a UK card game where you race to get rid of every card in your hand. Many people call it Switch or Last Card. It is not casino blackjack: there is no dealer, and nobody adds up card values.
This guide explains the rules as they work in jack7, a free app for playing the game with friends or against bots. If you have never played, read from the top. It takes about five minutes.
What you need
- 2 to 7 players.
- One standard deck of 52 cards, plus 2 jokers. That is 54 cards in total.
The aim is simple: be the first player with no cards left.
The deal
- Deal 7 cards to each player.
- Put the rest of the deck face down in the middle. This is the draw pile.
- Turn the top card over and place it next to the draw pile. This starts the discard pile.
If that first card is a power card (see below), it takes effect straight away. For example, if it is an 8, the first player misses their turn.
Your turn
On your turn, play a card from your hand onto the discard pile. It must match the top card in one of two ways:
- Same suit. The suits are spades (♠), hearts (♥), diamonds (♦) and clubs (♣).
- Same rank. A 7 goes on a 7, a Queen goes on a Queen, and so on.
For example, if the top card is the 7♥, you can play any heart or any 7.
If you cannot play, or do not want to, pick up one card from the draw pile. Your turn then ends.
If you play a card that is not allowed, you must pick up 2 penalty cards and your turn ends.
Power cards
Some cards do something special when you play them. These are called power cards.
| Card | What it does |
|---|---|
| 2 | The next player picks up 2 cards. |
| Black Jack (J♠ or J♣) | The next player picks up 7 cards. |
| Red Jack (J♥ or J♦) | Cancels any pickup that is waiting for you. |
| 8 | The next player misses their turn. |
| King | Reverses the direction of play. With 2 players, you go again. |
| Ace | You can play it on any card. You choose the new suit when you end your turn. |
| Queen | Must be covered. See below. |
| Joker | Can be any card you choose. See below. |
Every other card (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10) is a normal card with no special effect.
Pickups
If someone plays a 2 or a Black Jack against you, you have 3 choices:
- play another 2 or a Black Jack, which adds to the pickup and passes it to the next player;
- play a Red Jack, which cancels the pickup completely;
- pick up all the cards, and your turn ends.
Pickups add up. A 2 followed by another 2 makes the next player pick up 4. A 2 followed by a Black Jack makes them pick up 9.
You cannot play any other card while a pickup is waiting. If you try, you pick up 2 penalty cards as well as the pickup, and your turn ends.
The Queen
When you play a Queen, you must cover her with another card on the same turn. By default, any card will do.
If you end your turn without covering her, you pick up 2 cards. The Queen then stays uncovered, and the next player has to cover her or pick up 2 as well.
The Joker
When you play a Joker, you say which card it is pretending to be. You choose both a suit and a rank, for example "Joker as Q♥". It then counts as that card for everyone, including any power it has. A Joker declared as a 2 makes the next player pick up 2.
The Ace
You can play an Ace on any card, but not when you are facing a pickup. After you play it, choose the suit you want next when you end your turn.
Runs
You can play more than one card in a single turn. This is called a run. You do not need to do this, and beginners can ignore it for the first few games.
The first card of your turn follows the normal rules. Each extra card must then follow on from the card before it in one of two ways:
- Same rank, different suit. A 6♥ can be followed by a 6♠.
- The next rank up or down, in the same suit. A 6♠ can be followed by a 7♠ or a 5♠. The order wraps round, so an Ace sits between a King and a 2.
A card that only matches the suit is not allowed in the middle of a run.
For example, the top card is the 5♥. You could play 6♥ (same suit), then 6♠ (same rank), then 7♠ (next rank up). Three cards in one turn.
Jacks and 2s count as the same rank in a run. A J♣, then a 2♥, then a J♠ is a valid run.
Only the last power card in a run takes effect. If you play a 2 and then carry on with a 3 of the same suit, the 2 does nothing. The exception is playing the same power card again: a 2♥ then a 2♠ still makes the next player pick up 4.
When you have finished playing, end your turn.
Calling "Cards!"
Before you can win, you must call "Cards!". This is the part new players forget.
- On one of your turns, call "Cards!". The best time is the turn when you play your second-to-last card.
- Finish that turn as normal.
- On your next turn, you can play your last card and win.
The call only lasts for that one next turn. If you do not go out, you must call again.
If you play your last card without having called, you pick up 2 penalty cards and your turn ends.
Winning
The first player to get rid of all their cards wins.
You cannot win by playing a power card. The power cards are 2, 8, Jack, Queen, King, Ace and Joker. A Joker always counts as a power card, even if you declared it as something else. If your last card is a power card, you pick up 2 penalty cards instead.
So your last card needs to be a 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 or 10.
If the draw pile runs out, the discard pile is shuffled to make a new one. The top card stays where it is.
House rules
Every group plays Black Jack slightly differently. Agree the rules before you start. jack7 follows the standard rules in this guide unless the person starting the game changes them.
- Number of players. Standard: Up to 7. Can be changed to: 2 to 7.
- Cards dealt to each player. Standard: 7. Can be changed to: 1 to 9 (fewer at a full table).
- Jokers. Standard: 2. Can be changed to: 0 or 1.
- Black Jack pickup. Standard: 7 cards. Can be changed to: 5 cards.
- Covering a Queen. Standard: Any card. Can be changed to: A card of her suit, or another Queen.
- Winning on a power card. Standard: Not allowed. Can be changed to: Allowed.
- Calling "Cards!" before you win. Standard: Required. Can be changed to: Not required.
- Penalty for a mistake. Standard: 2 cards. Can be changed to: 1 card.
- First card turned over. Standard: Its power takes effect. Can be changed to: It does nothing.
- Runs. Standard: On. Can be changed to: Off.
- Jacks and 2s as the same rank. Standard: On. Can be changed to: Off.
- Aces playable on any card. Standard: On. Can be changed to: Off.
- Turn timer. Standard: Off. Can be changed to: 30, 60 or 90 seconds.
Play Black Jack on your iPhone
jack7 teaches you as you play, with a short walkthrough and practice games against bots. Then play online with friends. It is free.