Good Joker Bad Joker rules

Number of Players: 2-3 per deck of cards.

Age: 7 years and up.

One deck of playing cards is good for 2-3 players. Add a deck of cards for additional 2 players.

Setup:

• Shuffle the 54 deck of cards (2 joker cards + 52 regular cards).

• The dealer/winner randomly selects one card from the deck and places it face-up in the center as the game card.

• The dealer/player deals 7 hand cards to each player and places the remaining cards face down in the middle next to the game card.

• Goal: Empty your hand cards before other players.

-> Gameplay:

• The player clockwise to the dealer begins the game.

  • If the game card is 2 of hearts, the player with the same number card, i.e. 2 in their hand can throw that card. If they have multiple cards, for example, 2 of spades and 2 of clubs, they can throw both the cards on top of the game card face up.

  • If the player has a Joker card, they can throw it with the 2 of spades and 2 of clubs. The joker card cannot be thrown individually.

  • If the player can make a run sequence with the same suit as the game card (hearts in this case), they can throw the entire sequence. For example, if the player has 3 of hearts and 4 of hearts, since it makes a sequence with the game card (2,3,4 of hearts). The player can opt to throw the Joker card in addition to the sequence.

  • Once the player throws their sequence cards or their same number cards, the player will throw a game card from their deck to continue the game.

• If a player cannot play a card from their hand, they must draw a card from the face down pile.

  • If the drawn card can be played, they must play the card and choose another game card from their hand cards to continue the game.

  • If the drawn card cannot be played, the player can choose any of their hand cards to be the next game card.

• If only Joker card is remaining and no other cards can be played, the player has to throw the Joker card and draw 4 cards from the face down deck to continue the game. Only one Joker card can be thrown per turn.

• If the player has one last card, 10 of diamonds, and the next player does not have the card of the same number, the player wins. However, if the next person has the same numbered card, the player will have to draw another card and the game continues.

-> Winning the game:

• The game continues until one player finishes their entire hand due to a completed sequence.

• If the player has one last card and the next player does not have the same numbered card, the player wins.

-> Joker card:

Joker cards are the two extra Joker cards in the deck of cards. The Joker card can only be thrown with a sequence of cards or the same number cards and cannot be thrown individually.

Only one Joker card can be thrown per turn.

-> Strategy Tips:

• Players must decide whether to play the Joker card early or save it for later.

  • Good Joker: Throwing the Joker card early is a good strategy unless you can keep the Joker card to get a four/five sequence when all you have missing is the middle card.

  • Bad Joker: If only Joker card is remaining and no other cards can be played, the player has to draw 4 cards from the face down deck to continue the game.

• Be mindful of opponents' discarded cards to strategize and block potential sequences.

• If you have four cards of the same number but cannot throw them, you can use them as game cards so the other player must keep on pulling cards from the deck while your deck cards are rotating giving you a bigger chance of winning.

Gameplay rules in image format:

For complete rules, please read in detail below the image.