Unique and Fun Home Poker Game: Jacks Trump

GAME LOGIC & RULES

GAME LOGIC:  
Card Categories: High and Low.
High is when Aces are highest controlling cards and Duces are the lowest cards.
Low is when Duces are the highest controlling cards and Aces are the lowest cards. All other cards falling in-between Aces and Duces have ascending or descending control value depending on what is called: High or Low.

ORDER OF CONTROL:

CARD	ORDER OF PRIORITY	PLAY OR HOLD
Ace	High Priority, Play before King or Queen but not after Jack	Play=High, Hold=Low
King	High Priority, Play before Queen but not after Jack	Play=High, Hold=Low
Queen	High Priority	Play=High, Hold=Low
Tens	Highest points card; play when no other choice.	Hold until end unless opportunity comes where player is last to “play” and other cards don’t control (High/Low)
Nines	Low Priority/Throwaway card or coax card for High or Low	Play as waste card High or Low
Eights	Low Priority/Throwaway card or coax card for High or Low	Play as waste card High or Low
Sevens	Low Priority/Throwaway card or coax card for High or Low	Play as waste card High or Low
Sixes	Low Priority/Throwaway card or coax card for High or Low	Play as waste card High or Low
Fives	Low Priority/Throwaway card or coax card for High or Low	Play as waste card High or Low
Fours	Low Priority/Throwaway card or coax card for High or Low	Play as waste card High or Low
Threes	Low Priority/Throwaway card or coax card for High or Low	Play as waste card High or Low only when no other waste cards are in your hand
Duces	Duces High Priority: Play Duces and then Threes and Fours when Low is called. Duces are a controlling card. Don’t play when High is called. Hold until right time.	Play = Low/Hold = High
Jacks	Jacks have the highest Priority and should be played only when needed. Don’t lead with a Jack unless no other choice. Count Jacks played during game to better know when to play them. Use them when you’re the last player to play and Tens, Aces, Kings or Queens have been played and on the table.	Play when needed and strategically positioned to win points or last card in hand.

The game logic follows the hierarchy of the cards and is played in accordance with a set rule of using waste cards first when other players
have played controlling cards based on either a HIGH or LOW call. Part of the game strategy is to position yourself as the last player to play when you have controlling cards; this give you options to either take the play or use a waste card.

GAME RULES:

1. The maximum number of cards that can be dealt in a single Hand is 45 cards, with the game being comprised of one or more Rounds with each Round being comprised of one or more Hands. The number of Rounds per Game is set by the computer or the table organizer for Invited tables.
2. Single Player against the computer or two or more players in multiplayer mode.
3. Rounds can be played with 3, 5 or 7 cards dealt per Hand, however no more than 45 cards can be dealt in any one Hand. At the start of the Game a card limit is chosen by the initial Dealer. For all other Hands in the Round the next Dealer can set a different number of cards for that Round prior to the Round being dealt.  Additional Rounds in any Game can use different number of cards as declared by the initial Dealer and succeeding Dealers of each Round until the Game ends.
4. The initial Dealer for each Round is chosen randomly by the computer before the Game begins.
5. The order of play and deal is clockwise starting with the initial Dealer.
6. The Dealer always plays first.
7. Prior to playing the first card of any game, the Dealer chooses either “HIGH” or “LOW” to determine the order of trump cards. The succeeding winner of each Play in any given Hand likewise chooses “HIGH” or “LOW” prior to playing a card. Once “HIGH or “LOW” is announced the order of trump card priority is established for that Hand.
8. If “LOW” is chosen before the first card is played, the Duces are the highest trump card and each succeeding higher card (3,4,5,6,7, etc…) shall be the next controlling trump card for each higher card. If “HIGH” is chosen the opposite is true and the Aces are the highest trump cards with each succeeding lower card (King, Queen, 10,9,8,7, etc…) being the next controlling trump card in descending order. Jacks are not counted in the succession of either ascending or descending order of controlling trump cards.
9. Jacks trump all cards played in the order of play with the last Jack played by a player in any Hand being the final trump card. The final Jack played in any Hand trumps all prior cards, including prior played Jacks.
10. All cards, other than Jacks, can trump a card of equal, lesser or higher value depending on the “HIGH” or “LOW” declaration by either the dealer or next winning player of the Hand being played, when that card is played after the prior card is played. For example, in a game with six players, the dealer declares “HIGH” and throws an Ace, the next player likewise throws an Ace, the second Ace trumps the first Ace. If none of the next four players throw an Ace or a Jack the second player wins the Hand. If one of the third, fourth, fifth or sixth players throw the last played Ace or Jack that player wins the Hand and the Round continues until all cards are played. If the dealer declares “LOW” the same is true in the reverse order with the Duces being the dominate trump card, except for Jacks.
11. The player who wins each Hand collects all the cards played in that Hand and places them face down in his area by the computer. This continues during the Round until all cards are played by each player. At this point the Round ends.
12. At the end of each Round the computer adds up the points and Chips won in that Round based on the value of each card won and awards them to the Player winning them.
13. The value of each card is as follows:
    1. Aces and all face cards are worth five (5) points;
    2. Tens are worth ten (10) points; and
    3. All other numbered cards (9 to 2) are worth one (1) point.
14. One or more Rounds can be played in any given Game. At the end of the Game all points and Chips won in the Rounds are added up and the player with the most points wins the Game.
15. Team Play: Multiple player teams are not yet designed but will be in future releases of the Jacks Trump™ App.