Hi. My friend just gave me a blast from the past.  She gave me Chinese Jacks!  One problem, we forgot how to play.. Does anyone remember playing them?  :)

Does your set have a ball?  I've only been told how to play that game.  I always played snobs/dibs/five stones which is similar.

To start you hold the jacks in one hand, throw them up into the air a little, turn your hand over and try and catch some on the back of it.  Any you catch are put to one side.  The remaining jacks stay where they fell and you then pick up the ball.  you throw it into the air, let it bounce once and then catch it.  At the same time the hand that throws and catches the ball must pick up one of the jacks.  Repeat this until all the jacks are picked up. 

Then start the game again - except this time you must pick up two jacks at a time.  You can throw the ball in the air and then nudge jacks together to make them easier to pick up if necessary.

The Rules of Fivestones and Jacks

Does your set have a ball?  I've only been told how to play that game.  I always played snobs/dibs/five stones which is similar.

To start you hold the jacks in one hand, throw them up into the air a little, turn your hand over and try and catch some on the back of it.  Any you catch are put to one side.  The remaining jacks stay where they fell and you then pick up the ball.  you throw it into the air, let it bounce once and then catch it.  At the same time the hand that throws and catches the ball must pick up one of the jacks.  Repeat this until all the jacks are picked up. 

Then start the game again - except this time you must pick up two jacks at a time.  You can throw the ball in the air and then nudge jacks together to make them easier to pick up if necessary.


Thank you!

The Rules of Fivestones and Jacks


Ah, slightly different rules to what I had been told!

Ah, slightly different rules to what I had been told!
Each region has it's own rules