Intro
The game I played was Slapjack or Slaps, a card game created by Owaiz. The game is usually played by children.
Given that Slaps is a fast-paced game and there is a visual result of whether you are winning or losing, it makes the winning game very thrilling and addicting. It’s different than other games of chance because it relies on quick reflexes. This game involves “slapping” the jack card first. There are only 4 jack cards in a standard deck and as the game goes on, you can count how many jack cards have been played and would be in each hand. So, in this game, there is less feeling of randomness and probability changes dynamically as the game progresses.
Gameplay
The game began with the deck being shuffled and then split evenly into two, as I played with one other person. Then we each took turns placing a card as fast as we could until we saw a jack, in which case we had to be the first to slap them. This mechanic is effective because placing the cards down slowly would make the game slower-paced and also sway to the side of the player currently placing the card. Also, placing the cards as fast as we could limited our ability to count the cards being placed and predicting when the jack would come. All we knew was that many cards were placed and the jack is bound to come.
The more cards that were placed down, the higher the chance of a jack card appearing. All players knew this because we knew the odds prior to starting the game as it’s common knowledge that there are 4 jacks in each deck.
As soon as a face card was placed, no matter if it was a jack, queen, or king, we would react to it. However, if one of us did slap it then we would be forced to get the cards placed down into the pile and place them into our hands.
(Opponent slapping the jack card)
When a jack card was slapped, then the losing player had to get the cards placed down into the pile and place them into our hands. The winner is the first player to run out of cards in their hand. During the game, we could see the who was winning and losing. As a losing player you physically see a bunch of cards in your hands, a constant reminder that you are losing. If you are a winning player, seeing the amount of cards in your hand diminish serves a constant reminder that you are winning. This is another mechanic that is effective in this game because you can see yourself winning and the other losing and this motivates you to keep going because you are so close to winning. If you are losing, you see the cards in your hand pile up and this makes you lose hope.
(Me losing the game, having a bunch of cards in my hand)
Another thing that adds to the engagement of the game is the mechanic of physically slapping the jack. This creates a lot of excitement and urgency for the players
In conclusion, Slapjack, also known as Slaps, is very addicting because it is very faced paced and you can physically see the progress you are making towards winning or losing. Unlike Poker or 21, strategy and patience are not key elements in this game. Slapjack is a game that relies on quick reflexes and the ability to quickly observe and identify a certain card. This is rarely found in slow card games. The visual and immediate feedback of seeing who is winning or losing is one that makes the game more engaging and competitive. It is a constant visual reminder that keeps the players engaged, responsive, and motivated to play. Overall, this game is very fun and easy to play.
