Black Jack Card Game Rules
Seven cards each, pick-up 2s and Black Jacks, and a Red Jack to save you. How to play British Black Jack.
British Black Jack is the card game played around kitchen tables and in pubs across the UK, and it has nothing to do with the casino game of blackjack, where you try to reach 21. Each player gets seven cards, you match the top card by suit or number, and the first to empty their hand wins. What makes it Black Jack are the power cards: 2s and Black Jacks make the next player pick up, a Red Jack cancels, and Aces change the suit. It is a close cousin of Switch and Crazy Eights, and you may also hear it called 7-card Blackjack or Knock Knock. This guide covers the Black Jack card game rules, every power card, the house rules you will meet and what the cards are worth in practice.
Black Jack Card Game Rules at a Glance
| British Black Jack | |
|---|---|
| Players | Two or more. With five or more, shuffle two packs together. |
| Cards | A standard 52-card pack. Some groups add the Jokers. |
| Deal | Seven cards each; some groups deal five when there are a lot of players. |
| On your turn | Play a card that matches the top card by suit or by number, or pick up one card. |
| Power cards | 2 = pick up two, Black Jack = pick up five, Red Jack cancels, Ace changes the suit. Many groups add 8 (skip), King (reverse) and Queen (cover). |
| Last card | Say “last card” before you go out, or take a penalty. |
| Winner | The first player to play their last card. |
How to Play Black Jack (7 Cards)
- Deal seven cards each. Put the rest of the pack face down in the middle as the draw pile and turn the top card face up beside it to start the discard pile.
- Match the top card. The player on the dealer’s left goes first. Play one card of the same suit or the same number: on the 9 of hearts, any heart or any 9.
- Can’t go? Pick up. If you cannot play, or would rather not, pick up one card from the draw pile. In many groups you can play it straight away if it fits; otherwise your turn is over.
- Use your power cards. 2s and Black Jacks make the next player pick up, Aces change the suit, and the other power cards skip, reverse or let you play again (see below).
- Say “last card”. When you are down to one card, announce it before the next player has their go. If you forget, you cannot go out on your next turn and must pick up instead.
- Go out. The first player with no cards left wins the round. When the draw pile runs out, keep the top card of the discard pile, shuffle the rest and turn it face down as a new draw pile.
The Power Cards
These are the special cards found in most versions. Agree them before the first deal, because almost every family plays slightly differently.
| Card | What it does | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | The next player picks up two cards, unless they play a 2 of their own. Then the player after them picks up four, and so on. | With one pack the most is four 2s in a row: eight cards. |
| Black Jack (♠ or ♣) | The next player picks up five cards, unless they play a Jack. A second Black Jack doubles it to ten. | Some families make it six or seven cards. |
| Red Jack (♥ or ♦) | Played on a Black Jack, it cancels the pick-up and nobody draws. | On an ordinary card it is just a Jack. |
| Ace | Play it on any ordinary card and call the suit the next player must follow. | It cannot rescue you from a live 2 or Black Jack. |
| 8 | The next player misses a turn. | Two 8s together skip two players. |
| King | Reverses the direction of play. | Some groups use the 7 instead. |
| Queen | Must be covered: you play another card on top straight away, or pick up if you can’t. | Some say any card will do; others want the same suit or an Ace. |
Once a pick-up is taken
After you pick up the penalty cards, your turn is over. The 2 or Black Jack left on top becomes an ordinary card, so the next player only has to match its suit or number. A pick-up card only counts against the very next player.
Can you put a 2 on a Black Jack?
It depends on your table. In many groups 2s and Jacks are kept apart: you answer a 2 with a 2 and a Black Jack with a Jack. Others play “Jacks on 2s”, where the two mix and the totals add up. A player could then face four 2s and both Black Jacks, or 18 cards in one go. A Red Jack cancels the Black Jacks but not the 2s.
House Rules and Variations
| House rule | How it works |
|---|---|
| Runs and sets | You can lay several cards in one turn: all the cards of one number (5♠ 5♣ 5♥), or a run in one suit (5♠ 6♠ 7♠), or both. The next player follows the last card laid. |
| Last cards | If you can go out by laying several cards at once, you must call “last cards” the turn before. |
| Pick up until you can go | Instead of one card, you keep drawing until you get one you can play. |
| No finishing on a power card | Your last card has to be an ordinary one. |
| Jokers | Added to the pack, a Joker counts as whatever card was last played. |
| Bring backs | A player who has just gone out is brought back in if the player before them lays a 2 or a Black Jack. |
| Mistakes | Play the wrong card or show a card by accident and you pick up one, or two. |
Scoring
Most games are played one round at a time, and the first player out wins. For a longer session, score by finishing order. With two players the winner of each round gets one point. With three, the first player out gets two points and the second gets one. Add a point for each extra player. A common target is 10 points for two players, 11 for three and 12 for four. If two players reach the target in the same round, they play a tie-break round.
Black Jack vs Switch, Crazy Eights and Casino Blackjack
| Game | Change suit | Pick-up cards | Deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Black Jack | Ace | 2 (two), Black Jack (five); Red Jack cancels | 7 cards |
| Switch | Ace | 2 (two), Black Jack (seven in the classic game) | 7 cards |
| Crazy Eights | Any 8 | 2s in many groups | 5 cards (7 for two players) |
| Casino blackjack | – | – | Two cards each against the dealer; the aim is 21 |
Black Jack and Switch are really the same family of games. Tables that call it Black Jack often add more power cards: 8s, Kings and Queens as well as 2s, Jacks and Aces. The British card game Pontoon is the one that is related to casino blackjack.
Black Jack Strategy
- Keep an Ace in reserve. An Ace goes on any ordinary card, so it is your way out when nothing else matches. Call the suit you hold most of.
- Time your attacks. A 2 or Black Jack hurts most when the next player is down to one or two cards. Played early, the pick-up is just a few cards they will soon shed again.
- Hold a Red Jack. It is the only answer to a Black Jack apart from the other Black Jack.
- Get rid of ordinary cards first. Power cards are worth more later in the round than now.
- Watch what is gone. Once both Black Jacks have been played, a Red Jack is just a Jack.
In 20,000 simulated four-player games, a player who saved their Aces and kept their 2s and Black Jacks for a player close to going out won 31% of the time against three players choosing at random, against a fair share of 25%. The same player throwing power cards out first won only 23%. With two players, saving power cards won 56% of games.
Black Jack Odds
- Your seven cards. You hold at least one 2 45% of the time, an Ace 45%, a Black Jack 25% and a Red Jack 25%. At least one 2 or Black Jack to attack with: 60%.
- Answering a pick-up. When a 2 lands on you, you hold one of the other three 2s about 36% of the time. Against a Black Jack, the other Black Jack or a Red Jack is also about 36%.
- Big pick-ups are rare. In four-player games with 2s and Jacks kept apart, someone had to pick up 10 cards (both Black Jacks) in 9% of rounds, and 17% of Black Jacks were cancelled by a Red Jack.
- Round length. A four-player round took about 47 turns.
More Card Games
If you like Black Jack, try Switch, Crazy Eights, Shithead, Cheat and President. For the casino game, see how to play blackjack.
Black Jack card game: frequently asked questions
What are the rules of British Black Jack?
How many cards do you pick up for a Black Jack?
Can you put a 2 on a Black Jack?
What does a Red Jack do in Black Jack?
Can you finish on a power card in Black Jack?
What does a Queen do in Black Jack?
How many cards do you get in Black Jack?
Is Black Jack the same as Switch?
Fadi Hayek
Author & Casino Expert
After going through several successful experiences with several industry pioneers, Fadi Hayek has managed to excel in the world of content for online gaming by providing unique content for several projects that allowed him to obtain the necessary experience to launch his career. Last but not least, Fadi also holds several certificates, including but not limited to content marketing and iGaming.
