This game is a classic! Despite the name, it has nothing to do with folks named Jack – unless your name is Jack and you’re playing Jacks, of course.
For any of my readers who don’t know, a “jack” in this case is a plastic or metal “X” shape, with extra spokes facing front and back to make it 3D. The game Jacks uses these – shocking, I know – and a bouncy ball. “That’s it?” you ask. Yep! Now scatter the jacks on the floor, throw the ball into the air, grab a jack and catch the ball before it bounces twice… all with the same hand! This is how Jacks is played. If you succeed, move the jack you grabbed to your other hand and go for another! The goal is to get all of them (my set has 10, which I’m assuming is standard) without ever letting the ball bounce twice in one throw. If it does bounce twice, re-scatter the jacks and try again.
Got them all? Great! No, you’re not done yet – you’ve just progressed to the next level, which is picking them up two at a time! Once you’ve picked them all up in pairs, go for three in a throw, four in a throw, etc. until you either give up or manage to pick up the whole set in one bounce. Good luck! And remember, you can legally shift jacks without picking any up so long as you still catch the ball in time. Shoving them closer together is a valid move!
If you want to play Jacks competitively, simply trade off turns whenever you miss a throw. The winner is whoever makes it through the full progression first!
