Parlor game

Tic-Tac-Jack

Make a blackjack on the grid. A row, column, or diagonal that totals exactly 21 pays. Go over and that line busts.

Aces are 1 or 11. Faces are 10 — King plays again, Queen swaps, Jack cuts.

How the lines pay

  • A standard deck. The center card is dealt face up as the anchor. It counts, but nobody owns it.
  • You each hold three cards and play onto the open squares, drawing back to three.
  • Every row, column, and both diagonals is its own three-card hand.
  • Exactly 21 is a Blackjack: +2 to whoever played the card that closed the line.
  • Over 21 busts: −1 to whoever closed it. Under 21 scores nothing.
  • Aces count as 1 or 11, whichever makes a blackjack if it can, otherwise the best total that stands.
  • Kings, queens, and jacks are worth 10, and the one you play also acts.
  • King — take another turn.
  • Queen — swap any two cards on the board, the anchor included.
  • Jack — remove one card. It is out for the hand, and that square opens again.
  • The hand ends when the grid is full after those powers. Highest score wins.

A square marked 21 is one card from a blackjack. Select a card to preview whether that square pays or busts. Undo takes a face-card power back before you finish it.