Jakaroo Rules: What Every Card Does and How to Win
Jakaroo (also written Jackaroo) took the Gulf by storm because it turns a simple race into a battle of wits. There are no dice: every move is a playing card, and every card has a power. A king can wipe out a rival's progress, a jack can steal their place, and a four played at the right moment can carry your marble home in two turns. This guide explains the Jakaroo rules, what every card does, and the tactics that win games.
Learn by playing in our free Jakaroo game online, in teams with a computer partner, every player for themselves, or one against one.
What you need
- A Jakaroo board with a track around the edge, a home and a four-square safe lane for each colour.
- Four marbles for each player.
- A standard 52-card deck.
- Four players, usually in two teams with partners opposite each other.
How a game works
- Deal. In our game each player gets 5 cards, then 4, then 4, which uses the whole deck before it is shuffled again. Many groups deal 4 cards every time.
- One card per turn. On your turn play one card and move by its value, then the turn passes to the next player.
- Coming out. All marbles start at home. Only an ace or a king brings a marble out onto your start square.
- Killing. If your marble lands on another marble, that marble goes back to its home. You cannot land on your own marble.
- Protected start. In our version a marble sitting on its own start square cannot be passed or hit, so it works like a wall.
- Home lane. After a lap, your marble enters its four-square safe lane, where nobody can touch it. You need the exact number to get in, and you cannot jump over your own marbles in the lane.
- Burning. If none of your cards gives a legal move, you burn (throw away) one card and your turn ends.
- Team play. When all four of your marbles are home, you keep playing your cards on your partner's marbles. The first team to get all eight marbles home wins.
What every card does
- Ace: bring a marble out, or move 1 or 11 steps.
- King: bring a marble out, or move 13 steps and send home every rival marble it passes or lands on.
- Queen: move 12 steps.
- Jack: swap one of your marbles on the track with any other marble on the track. Marbles at home, on their start square or in a safe lane cannot be swapped.
- Seven: move 7 steps with one marble, or split the seven between two of your marbles (for example 3 + 4).
- Five: move any marble on the track 5 steps forward, yours, your partner's or an opponent's.
- Four: move one of your marbles 4 steps backwards.
- 2, 3, 6, 8, 9 and 10: move forward by the card's value.
The famous four trick
The fastest route home is backwards. As soon as a marble comes out, play a four: it steps back four squares and now sits just in front of its own safe lane, instead of a full lap away. A seven, a five or even a small card can then take it straight in.
House rules you will meet
Jakaroo is played a little differently from majlis to majlis. These are the most common variations; agree on them before you start.
| Rule | Our game | Common variations |
|---|---|---|
| Cards per deal | 5, then 4, then 4 (the whole deck) | 4 cards every deal |
| The 10 | Moves 10 steps | Or makes the next player burn a card |
| The red queen | Moves 12 steps | Lets you burn a card from the player on your right |
| Walls | A marble on its own start square cannot be passed | Two marbles side by side also form a wall |
| Jokers | Not used | Some sets add jokers that count as any card |
8 Jakaroo strategies
- Keep an ace or a king in your hand. Without one, a killed marble can be stuck at home for several turns.
- Use the four early. The four trick saves almost a whole lap.
- Save the jack for a big swap. Trade your rearmost marble for a rival marble about to enter its lane.
- Play the five on rivals. Push an opponent's marble onto a square right in front of your marbles, then hit it next turn.
- Stay out of the danger zone. Avoid ending your move a few squares in front of a rival marble, especially when the rival may hold a king.
- Park on your start square. A marble on its own start square blocks rivals behind it.
- Split the seven wisely. Use part of it to get a marble home exactly, and the rest to move another marble to safety.
- Help your partner. In team games, a finished player becomes a second engine for the partner's marbles, so getting your own marbles home first is often the best help.
Frequently asked questions
How many players can play Jakaroo?
Usually four, in two teams of two with partners sitting opposite. Two players or four individual players can also play, and some boards are made for six.
Which cards bring a marble out in Jakaroo?
Only the ace and the king. Without them, a marble that has been sent home has to wait.
What does the 5 do in Jakaroo?
It moves any marble on the track five steps forward, including your partner's or an opponent's. Use it to push a rival onto a dangerous square or to land a marble on someone.
What does burning a card mean?
If none of your cards can make a legal move, you throw one card away without playing it and your turn ends.
Can a marble on its start square be killed?
Not in our version: a marble sitting on its own start square cannot be passed or hit. Some groups play differently, so agree on it first.
Where can I play Jakaroo online for free?
You can play Jakaroo free on PlayNovarc in your browser, in teams, free-for-all or one against one, with no download.
Play Jakaroo now
Open our free Jakaroo game and try the four trick in your first game. Prefer cards around a table? Read our guide to how to play Baloot, try Tarneeb, or browse all our board games.
