What you need
A standard 52-card deck and 2 to 8 players; three to five is ideal. An old deck is a good idea, because the cards get slapped hard. Clear the table so everyone can reach the middle.
Setup
Deal all the cards face down, one at a time, until the deck is used up. Hands need not be equal. Nobody looks at their cards: each player squares their cards into a face-down pile in front of them.
How to play
Starting on the dealer’s left and going clockwise, each player takes the top card of their pile and turns it face up onto a pile in the centre. Flip the card away from yourself so everyone sees it at the same moment; no peeking first.
When a jack appears, everyone tries to slap it. The first hand on the jack wins the whole centre pile; that player turns the cards face down and puts them under their own pile. If several hands land, the one touching the card (the lowest hand) wins. Play restarts with the player to the left of the winner.
Wrong slap. If you slap a card that is not a jack, you give the top card of your pile, face down, to the player who played that card.
Out of cards. When your pile is empty you stop playing cards but stay in the game until the next jack. If you win that slap you are back in; if someone else wins it, or you slap wrongly in the meantime, you are out.
Scoring and winning
The game ends when one player holds all 52 cards. Because this can take a while with young children, agree a time limit; when it runs out, the player with the most cards wins.
Common variants
- Slap on pairs. Also slap when a card matches the rank of the card beneath it. This makes the game closer to Snap and keeps players alert between jacks.
- Slap on sandwiches. Two cards of the same rank with one card between them. Combined with pairs and a few other combinations, the game becomes Egyptian Ratscrew.
- Irish Snap. Players count “ace, two, three…” as they play; when the card played matches the number called, everyone slaps and the last hand on the pile picks it up. The aim is to get rid of your cards, and the last player holding cards loses.
- Winner’s lead. The player who wins the pile plays the first card of the next round, instead of the player to their left.
Tips for first games
- Keep your slapping hand flat on the table edge, not hovering over the pile; hovering is usually banned and gives nothing but wrong slaps.
- Watch the cards, not the other players’ hands.
- With mixed ages, let the smallest players use their non-dominant hand to even things out, or add the pairs rule so there are more chances to win.
- Play the card by sliding it to the middle and flipping it away from you. Flipping towards you lets you see it first and causes arguments.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if you slap a card that is not a jack? You give one card from the top of your pile, face down, to the player who played the card you slapped.
Who wins when two players slap at the same time? The player whose hand is underneath, in contact with the jack.
Can you stay in the game with no cards? Yes, until the next jack is played. Win that slap and you are back in with a new pile; miss it and you are out.
How long does Slapjack take? Five to fifteen minutes with a time limit. Without one it can go on much longer, because piles change hands quickly.
Is Slapjack the same as Egyptian Ratscrew? Egyptian Ratscrew grew out of Slapjack and Beggar My Neighbour. It adds several slap combinations and face-card challenges, and is better for older children and adults.
