There are two games named Blackjack. One is played in Casinos where you get nearest to 21 in total face value without going over. I'm not going to talk about that one.
The other version that I grew up with is a card shedding game, with rules as to what cards you can get rid of in your turn.
in its most basic form you are given five cards, and you can play one card at a time, to match either the suit or the number of the previous card played.
The first player to get rid of all their cards wins. They must warn other players at the end of their penultimate turn, that they could (theoretically) win next turn. In this simplest version, that would be if they have one card left.
The fun is in the different special powers some cards have.
There are many variations to what the powers are and which cards have them. The way we play is to start with the basic rules and then the winner of that round adds a new rule each time. this way the game gets more complex and crazy each time.
We have the following extra rules (note they may be tweaked by whoever is deciding the new rule!):
Special card powers:
A: play on any suit. Options: Change to ace's suit or any suit. Option: Go again after.
2: next player must pick 2 from the deck (option: cumulative)
3: choose any player to pick 3 from the deck (option: cumulative)
4: cancels the 3s
5: next person who can't play, picks up 5 instead of 1
6: Either take a card from someone or force someone to take a card of yours (face down choice).
7: change direction of play
8: next person misses go (option: unless they have an 8)
9: go again
10: all other cards you have in the same suit as the 10 can be played, finishing on whatever card you wish.
BJ: pick up either 5 or 10 cards. (option: Cumulative.)
RJ: cancel BJ (also cancels other pickups?)
Q: pick 1, cumulative with K, K: pick 2, cumulative with Q (K&Q=1rule)
other: Play more than 1 card/ go if paired, Play more than 1 card if runs within a suit, Play more than 1 card if combos of these. Cancel pickups if have a card (that you can play!) with face value equal to the cards you had to pick up (e.g. a 6 would cancel two 3s or three 2s)
Its good fun, especially when some combination of rules becomes really unbalanced and players either finish almost immediately, or end up with twenty cards in their hand.
