Jacks – Games our Grandparents Played!

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Jump to Basic Rules

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Jacks was a game our grandparents not only played as teenagers, but went on dates to play!! My grandmother talked about how they’d meet up at friends house’s with dates and play Jacks! Man! Why can’t kids go on dates like the good OLD days! Haha. She said, they’d even have parties and competitions!

I spent hours playing jacks on the floor of my grandmother’s kitchen. I can’t remember what age she started me playing Jacks, but it was a favorite pastime for many many years. 

My husband even got me a professional jacks set one year for Christmas because I love the game. Although I grew up playing with the smaller size jacks, the professional set jacks are larger and heavier. Whatever size jacks you choose, just make sure the balls have no seems or the seems are smooth. Jacks

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How I wished I had videoed my grandmother playing this game and teaching me all the different rounds and techniques. What fun memories those were!

But since I didn’t video my grandmother and I’ve lost my paper with all the rounds and how to play them, I put together from different websites all the rules and rounds one could play in a game of Jacks.  This is a very comprehensive list.  But if you remember a round I don’t have listed, please comment and teach us how!

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The History:

I found this interesting and so included it.  The game known as “Jacks”, or a variation of the modern game, has been played for more than 2000 years. In texts left behind by the Greek philosopher, Sophocles, there is mention of the game being played around the time of the Trojan War (roughly 1190 B.C.).  Modern Jacks evolved from a game that originally used pebbles or sheep knucklebones. Later, a wooden ball was substituted for one of the rocks or bones and the game became known as Fivestones. Eventually, a rubber ball was used in place of the wooden one. The knucklebones were replaced by small metal “jacks”, whose shape is said to resemble the original sheep knucklebones that were used. This information was found at Retroplanet.

The rest of the information was the combination of 4 websites (Fungameskidsplay, Rocketbox, Geocities, and Eenymeeny) and my own experience/memories.


The Equipment:

Exactly 10 jacks (metal ones are preferred), and a
1-inch diameter high-bounce ball.

A smooth flat surface to play on, preferably on the floor.

Object of the game:

Be the first to complete a set going from “onsies” to “tensies”.  Move up a level by doing the next round. Be the first to finish 10 rounds!

Setting up the game/basic rules:

One person goes or plays at a time while the rest watch.

Who goes first

Before starting each player takes a turn, to challenge each other for who goes first. Hold all 10 jacks in the palm of your hand, then toss them upward while flipping your hand around (your palms have to be face down – thumb to thumb), and then catch as many jacks as you can between your fingers (or on the back of your hand). Now, flip them up in the air again, and try to catch the rest of the jacks in the palm of your hand. Whoever catches the most jacks goes first. My grandma would make us do this. It’s difficult to toss jacks with your palms down.  So it was a good test to see who went first. I think she did just one toss to the back of our hands when I was first learning.  Then as I got older and we got good at catching them the first time with palms-side down, she added tossing them again and catch them palm-side up.

Beginning play

Begin with “SCATTERS.” Meaning scattering or throwing your jacks onto the ground in front of you.  Try and make the jacks land not too far apart or too close together. 

Loopholes

Kissies or Kissing Cousins

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If after you throw the jacks and two (or more) jacks are touching you can either leave them or call out “Kissies” and pick up the jacks and drop them to spread them out. Or sometimes when two jacks are touching each other after scattering, they can legally be separated by announcing “Kissing Cousins” while splitting them apart with a single swift poke. This optional loophole is only valid immediately after the initial scatter. My grandmother only allowed us to re-drop “Kissies” if they were stacked on top of each other. So here is a “House Rules” option you might decide before playing. Otherwise, this could cause contention.  Games are meant to be fun, not cause fights.  So, decide now.

Bread and Butter

When doing Threesies, there is one odd jack leftover. When doing Foursies there are two odd jacks leftover. Instead of picking up the odd jacks last, they can be picked up anytime as long as the player announces, “Bread and Butter”. This loophole was used by my grandmother.

Flipping

Before starting a new round, you could use this shortcut… (same as “who goes first”) Hold all 10 jacks in the palm of your hand, then toss them upward while flipping your hand around, and then catch as many jacks as you can between your fingers (or on the back of your hand). Now, flip them up in the air again, and try to catch the rest of the jacks with the palm of your hand. The jacks that fell down are the only ones you would have to pick up for the “onesies” part of that round. But for the rest of the round (twosies, etc.) it was business as usual, meaning you still had to scatter all 10 jacks on the ground, and pick up all 10 of them up according to the rules. (My grandmother used this shortcut when we got older and really good).

Ending a turn:

Your turn continues until you foul (See list and explanations below):

Fouls

•           Dropping a jack(s) or the ball.

•           Grabbing the wrong amount of jacks.

•           Touching, bump, or moving other jacks is called TIPPING.

•           Letting the ball hit another jack (or your body).

•           Catching the ball at the wrong time.

•           Catching the ball with both hands.

•           Not catching the ball at all.

•           Using the wrong hand to catch the ball or grab a jack(s).

The list goes on and on. Most of these are obvious, so let’s focus on the odder type of fouls:

Touching or moving other jacks

Sometimes, you will accidentally nudge a jack that you did NOT intent to grab. This rule also applies to brushing a jack with clothing, so wear short sleeves!

Letting the ball hit another jack

The penalty is the same; you lose your turn and are demoted to Onesies. However, the consequences do not end here. Sheer pandemonium strikes as the ball bounces aimlessly away in a wild and uncontrolled fashion, while the jacks randomly scatter in all directions at unfathomable distances.

Penalty

The penalty is harsh. Not only do you lose your turn, but you must start at Onesies of the same round on your next turn. (My grandmother was nice and let me start where I messed up – some families are intense! Haha – Here is where “House Rules” apply).

Grandma’s Rules: Your turn is then over and the next person goes. When it is your turn again, you start by scattering your jacks and begin the round where you ended.  For example, you missed on round 3 (no bounce) on “foursies”.  Begin on “foursies” with “no bounce”.


Playing the Game:

Here’s the fun part once you’ve mastered the Basics. However, depending on how you grew up there are different types of “ROUNDS”. The general consensus is to pick 10 rounds, always beginning with the Basic Round and end with ‘Round the World. But the other 8 rounds are up to you.  For example, I never played the double bounce with my grandmother.  Others incorporate the “double bounce” and the “no bounce” into every round.  I guess as you get really good, you’d play a Single Bounce, Double Bounce and No Bounce version of each round before moving onto the next round. This means playing thirty rounds of jacks! With that excellent hand-eye coordination, it would be a great challenge, but take several hours to play a single game! Date Night!!

My grandmother would teach me one round at a time.  We would add a new round as I got good at the skill and technique required in each of the rounds.

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Basic Play:

NOTE: All instructions are written for a right-handed player. So if you’re left-handed! Then switch and do everything with the opposite hand 😊 in all the following instructions.

Basic Round one is the basic rules for Playing Jacks. Also known as Normal Round, One-Handed, or Single-Bounce. All other rounds are but mere variations and deviations.

After tossing your jacks on the floor and fixing any “kissies,” begin with “onesies!”

•           Toss the ball (under-handed, or “upward”) with the right hand.

•           Now, grab a jack with the right hand, while allowing the ball to bounce once.

•           Catch the ball with the right hand, while still holding onto the jack.

•           Transfer the jack to the left hand, while still holding onto the ball with the right.

…Repeat the steps until all jacks are captured.

Continue on with Twosies: Same as Onesies, scatter jacks on floor and repeat actions except now you must grab (and hold and transfer) 2 jacks at a time..

Threesies: Grab (hold, and transfer) 3 jacks at a time. There will be one jack left over, which gets grabbed at the last try. My grandmother did not specify that this leftover jack must be done last. Make it “House-Rules” if that is an important game strategy for your family.

Foursies: Grab (hold, and transfer) 4 jacks at a time. There will be two jacks left over, which get grabbed at the last try. See above for House-Rules.

5’s: See the pattern? You get the picture.

6’s: Grab 6, transfer, grab 4.

7’s: Grab 7, transfer, grab 3.

8’s: Grab 8, transfer, grab 2.

9’s: Grab 9, transfer, grab 1.

Tensies: All 10 jacks at once.


Types of Rounds:

REMEMBER: Before doing any of the steps you must “scatter” the jacks on the ground in front of yourself. Start off with Onesies and continue on with Twosies, Threesies, Foursies, etc.; all the way up to Tensies.

Basic Round (see above)

Double Bounce

No Bounce

Two Handed

Cherries in a Basket or Eggs in a Basket

Crack the Eggs

Ups & Downs

Pigs in the Pen

Over the Fence

Sweeps

Scrubs

Thread the Needle

Catching Flies (I don’t remember my grandma calling it this, but I do remember playing this round)

‘Round the World (This tends to be the big Finale and so most end with this round)


DOUBLE BOUNCE

•           Toss the ball (upward) with the right hand.

•           Now, grab the jack(s) with the right hand, while allowing the ball to bounce TWICE.

•           Catch the ball with the right hand, while still holding onto the jack(s).

•           Transfer the jack(s) to the left hand, while still holding onto the ball with the right.

…Repeat the steps until all jacks are captured. Start with Onesies and end with Tensies.

Easier? Maybe. On one hand, you have more time to grab a jack and catch the ball, due to the second bounce. On the other hand, there will be times when you sit helplessly and watch frozen in fear, as the second bounce comes dangerously close to hitting another jack.

NO BOUNCE

•           Toss the ball (upward) with the right hand.

•           Now, grab the jack(s) with the right hand. Do NOT allow the ball to bounce. Do NOT let the ball hit the ground.

•           Catch the ball with the right hand, while still holding onto the jack(s).

•           Transfer the jack(s) to the left hand, while still holding onto the ball with the right.

…Repeat the steps until all jacks are captured. Start off with Onesies and continue on with Twosies, Threesies, Foursies, etc.; all the way up to Tensies.

Keep your eye on the ball! Study the jacks you are about to capture before tossing the ball, and blindly grab them while watching the bouncing ball. This is (by far) the hardest round to complete, and because of that some fouls could be excused.

TWO HANDED

•           Toss the ball (upward) with the left hand.

•           Grab the jack(s) with the right hand, while allowing the ball to bounce once.

•           Catch the ball with the left hand; captured jacks remain in the right. Do NOT transfer the jacks to the other hand.

…Repeat the steps until all jacks are captured.

This round can be easy but tricky. You use one hand (the left) to toss and catch the ball, while using the other hand (the right) to grab and hold the jacks. However, this round must be maintained in perfect sequence. Remember: you must grab the jack(s) after tossing the ball and before catching the ball. Executing two operations at the same time qualifies as a foul.

You have to then place the jacks in your cupped hand – one through tens.

CHERRIES IN A BASKET or EGGS IN A BASKET

Scatter the jacks on the ground in front of yourself, and…

•           Cup your left hand (if you are right-handed. Opposite if left-handed)

Toss the ball (upward) with the right hand.

•           Grab the jack(s) with the right hand, and then quickly transfer them to the left, while allowing the ball to bounce.

•           Catch the ball with the right hand; keep holding the jack(s) with the left.

…And repeat the steps until all jacks are captured.

CRACK THE EGGS

•           Toss the ball (upward) with the right hand.

•           Grab the jack(s) with the right hand, and then rap your right knuckles on the ground, while allowing the ball to bounce.

•           Catch the ball with the right hand, while still holding onto the jack(s).

•           Transfer the jack(s) to the left hand, while still holding onto the ball with the right.

A seasoned jacks player would rap her knuckles at the same instant the ball bounced.

UPS & DOWNS

•           Toss the ball (upward) with the right hand.

•           Now, grab the jack(s) with the right hand, while allowing the ball to bounce once.

•           Catch the ball (with jacks in hand), using the right hand.

•           Toss the ball again, (with jacks still in hand), using the right hand.

•           Transfer the jack(s) to the left hand, while allowing the ball to bounce once again.

•           Catch the ball with the right hand; captured jacks remain in the left.

The extra steps in this round causes it to become twice as long as most other rounds. However, the time is compensated long ago from the rapid “Two-Handed” round.

PIGS IN THE PEN

Cup your left hand, with the side of your hand resting on the ground, forming a “cave” (or “pen”).

Note: the pen must be to the left of the scattered jacks.

•           Toss the ball (upward) with the right hand.

•           Using the right hand, sweep or slide the jack(s) all the way inside the pen, while allowing the ball to bounce.

•           Catch the ball with the right hand; leave the captured jacks inside the pen.

…Repeat the steps until all jacks are captured.  Do ones through tens.

If a jack doesn’t make it into the “pen” it’s considered a foul and your turn is over.

OVER THE FENCE

Place your left hand upright against the ground, forming a “fence”.

Note: the fence must be to the left of the scattered jacks.

•           Toss the ball (upward) with the right hand.

•           Using the right hand, pick up the jack(s) and carry them over to the other side of the fence, while allowing the ball to bounce. Do not drop the jacks, you must place them!

•           Catch the ball with the right hand; leave the captured jacks over the fence.

…Repeat the steps until all jacks are captured. Do ones thru tens.

A seasoned player would carry the jacks over using her fingertips, and then crack them on the ground at the same instant the ball bounced.

AROUND THE WORLD

Scatter the jacks on the ground in front of yourself, and…

•           Toss the ball (upward) with the right hand.

•           Now, grab the jack(s) with the right hand, while allowing the ball to bounce.

•           Whirl your right fist in a large, circular motion around the ball, while it is still up in the air. (translation: “Make a circle around the ball”). Your fist should start and end at the bottom of the circle. In order to the catch the ball.

•           Catch the ball with the right hand, while still holding onto the jack(s) before it bounces a second time.

•           Transfer the jack(s) to the left hand, while still holding onto the ball with the right.

…And repeat the steps until all jacks are captured. Ones through tens.

Not the hardest round, but still a very difficult one. It is best to circle around the ball after it bounces, but it is also legit to circle around the ball before it bounces.

SWEEPS

Toss the ball (upward) with right hand.

“Sweep” the jacks(s). To sweep a jack, you quickly drag the jack all the way towards yourself with your fingertips. Like sweeping it towards yourself, with a broom.

Grab the jack(s).

Catch the ball after it bounces …all with your right hand only!

Now take a breather and transfer the jack(s), with ball still in hand, to your other (left) hand.

SCRUBS

Toss the ball (upward) with the right hand.

“Scrub” the jacks(s). To scrub a jack, you pick up the jack(s) with your fingertips and scrub them gently back and forth on the ground. Like scrubbing with a scrub brush.  Another way to scrub a jack(s) is to capture the needed jack(s) in the right-hand and scrub with the side of the hand that is holding the jack(s). Decide what you want for your House Rules.

Grab the jack(s) into your hand.

Catch the ball after it bounces once …all with your right hand only!

Now take a breather and transfer the jack(s), with ball still in hand, to your other (left) hand.

THREAD THE NEEDLE

Played by dropping the jack(s) through a circle made by the index finger and thumb of your other hand.  Some players rest the hand on the ground, and others hold it about 5- 10 inches off the ground.

Note: the needle (circle made by the index finger and thumb of the other hand) must be to the left of the scattered jacks.

•           Toss the ball (upward) with the right hand.

•           Using the right hand, pick up the jack(s) and place them in the circle, while allowing the ball to bounce.

•           Catch the ball with the right hand; let the captured jacks fall thru the circle.

…Repeat the steps until all jacks are captured. Do ones thru tens.

CATCHING FLIES

Played the same way as Basic round 1, but the ball must be caught using a quick downward snatching movement, instead of landing in the palm of your hand.

After tossing your jacks on the floor and fixing any “kissies;” begin with “onesies!”

•           Toss the ball (under-handed, or “upward”) with the right hand.

•           Now, grab a jack with the right hand, while allowing the ball to bounce once.

•           Then Catch the ball with the right hand, but in a downward snatching movement (palm down), while still holding onto the jack.

•           Transfer the jack to the left hand, while still holding onto the ball with the right.

…Repeat the steps until all jacks are captured.


Have fun playing this game that has been around for more than 2,000 years.  From sheep’s knucklebones called Taws, to wooden balls, to the bouncy balls we use today, this game is great from ages 7 to adults. 

Have fun making memories!

-Tonya

Incorporate Jacks into a Family History with Harry Potter Dinner night!

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