California Jack

California Jack is a two player game, much in the same vein as War. This game is fun and fairly easy to learn. Anyone who can count can play this fast paced competition of wit and cunning. The only thing you need to play is a standard 52 card deck, a playing surface and an opponent.

To start the game one player shuffles and their opponent gets to cut the deck. Both players are dealt 3 cards at a time and then repeat so that both players have 6 cards to begin the game. The remaining cards are then placed in a neat stack face up. The top card on the deck becomes the "trump" card for the rest of that round. Additionally, the suit of that card also becomes "trump". Example: if the trump card is a Jack of spades and your opponent plays a Queen of hearts, but you have a 5 of spades, you win the trick.

Each player begins by playing one card, after both cards are out, the highest card wins. Strategy comes in here as you should choose when to use a trump wisely. If you have no trump or no card of the higher suit, your best bet is to play a low ranking card of a different suit. The player who wins the trick (or hand) gets the top card on the deck; the opponent gets the second card. Play like this until the deck is finished.

When scoring, Aces are high and deuces low. The winner is the one who reaches 10 points first. Points are collected one at a time as follows; the largest amount of tricks won, obtaining the Ace of trump, Jack of trump, 10 of trump and deuce of trump.