Blind Jack
Blind Jack Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
4 tokens - 200 cards - 1 Card Holder (Box)
The two-sided cards feature a question on the front side and its corresponding answer (a value ranging from 0 to 10) on the back side.
SPOILER ALERT: Do not turn over the cards before playing...
Objective
Get as close as possible to a total of 21 without going over!
Setup
- Form teams. Note: We recommend teams of 3 players max.
- Choose a team to shuffle the deck. Take 20 cards, shuffle them and place them in a single pile between all teams, question side up.
Round of Play
- The team that shuffled starts the game by reading the question on the top card of the pile. They must estimate the answer and say the number out loud. Reminder: the answer is a value from 0 to 10.
- Without looking at the answer on the back of the card, they show the value to the other team(s). Then, they take the card and place it in front of them, question side up.
(Example: the team reads "Record number of babies in a single birth"; one player says 10, another says "More like 7...", and they settle on "Let's say 8!")
Play continues clockwise with each team repeating these two steps:
- They read the new question from the top of the pile and estimate the answer.
- They show the answer to the opposing team(s) and place the card in front of themselves.
Following Rounds
Each team keeps track of the sum of the estimated values of the cards they take.
Starting from the third round, a team may choose not to take a card after reading it, if they believe its answer will cause their total estimated values to exceed 21. They are done playing until the end of the game.
(Example: a team with a total estimated 18 reads "Number of seasons of Game of Thrones", estimates 6, and decides that 18 + 6 would make 24, so they stop.)
When one team decides not to take a card, the next team continues playing with the same question.
(Example: the next team estimates 8 seasons, which would add up to 15 for them, and goes for it.)
End of the Game
The game ends as soon as all teams have stopped taking cards. The team that stopped first turns over their cards and adds up all actual values. Then, the other teams do the same.
(Example: one team's actual values are 9 + 7 = 16. Another team's are 3 + 8 + 7 = 22.)
The team whose sum of actual values is closest to 21, without going over, wins the game!
In case of a tie, all tied teams win.
If all teams exceed 21, everybody loses.
Super Blind Jack
Want to play a series of games? Try the Super Blind Jack! Each game:
- The winning team (closest to 21 without exceeding it) scores 2 points.
- The losing team(s) score 0 points if they go over 21 or 1 point if under 21.
The first team to reach 3 points wins the series! If multiple teams reach 3 points at the same time, play a tiebreaker game.
Instant Win Rule: Any team that hits exactly 21 wins immediately!
Card Statistics
- 9 cards each, with values 0 and 10
- 18 cards each, with values 1, 2, 8 and 9
- 22 cards each, with values 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7
Average value of a card: 5
Tips
- Tip 1: To make it easier to track each team's total estimated values, use a colored token and move it along a numbered score track on the card holder box. Advance your token as your team acquires cards.
- Tip 2: The game box doubles as a card holder. Place your cards in the holder with the question sides facing the players. Lay the first card horizontally for easy reading.
- Tip 3: At the end of the game, insert your used cards into the back of the card holder, with the question side facing the back of the box.
Sources
All data used in Blind Jack has been carefully researched. In some cases, answers have been rounded to the nearest possible value for the needs of the game.