Chase the Ace card game

For a word document version of this activity, please click here:
Chase the Ace card game.doc

This is a game for large groups of children. It encourages decision-making skills and a requires a certain level of concentration.

You will need:

A standard pack of cards
Three counters for each player (or similar)
A large area to allow the children to sit and play in a circle
5 or more players

How to play

Players each take a card from the pack.
The player with the highest card is the dealer.
The dealer gives each player 3 counters
The dealer then gives out one card to each player.

Each player looks at their card and decides whether or not they want to keep it.

The player on the left of the dealer starts by saying “stick if they want to keep the card or “change” if they want to get rid of it.

If the player decides to change the card they pass it face down to the player on their left. That player must then swap his card with the player wanting to change unless they have a king.

If they have a king they put it down face up to show the rest of the players.

This means they cannot lose a counter during this round as it is the highest card and cannot be beaten.

If this happens the player who wants to swap must then move onto the next player on the left and swap cards with them.

The fun comes when deciding whether to change your card. Unless you need to change an ace you always risk changing your card for a lower value card.

After the exchange has taken place the player who was forced to trade looks at their card. They then decide if they want to stick or change with the player on their left.

This continues until everyone has had a chance to change their card.

If the dealer wants to swap cards they place theirs at the bottom of the pack and take the top card.
Once play has gone all around the group and returned to the dealer the players put their card down face up so everyone else can see.

The player with the lowest card loses one of their counters. If more than one player has the lowest card, each player with the low card also loses a counter.

The cards are then collected and added to the bottom of the pack and the dealer gives each player a new card.

The games restarts.

Once a player loses all their counters they are out of the game.

The player in the end with a remaining counter is the winner.