JAZZY GOPS – The Game of Strategy

Welcome to Jazzy Gops! This exciting three-player variation of the Game of Pure Strategy, created by David Parlett, will challenge your memory and strategic thinking. In Jazzy Gops, you will need to pay close attention to the cards played and make wise decisions to win the best prize cards.

THE CARDS & THE DEAL

To begin, separate all the cards by their suits. The prize cards consist of Diamonds and the Joker. Shuffle these together and place them face down to create a prize pile. Each player will then choose one of the remaining suits and take those cards as their hand.

THE PLAY

DETERMINE THE PRIZE FOR THE TRICK

Hey there! Let’s get ready to play a fun card game. Here’s what you need to know:

THE CARD VALUES

First things first, let’s talk about the values of the cards in this game:

• The Diamond Ace is worth 1.
• The numbered cards are worth the number on the card.
• The Queen is worth zero.
• The Jack’s value is the same as the lowest Diamond card a player captures.
• The King’s value is the same as the highest Diamond card a player captures.
• The Joker’s value is the same as the next Diamond card in the stack.

Now that we know how much each card is worth, let’s learn how to play the game.

THE TRICK

Here’s how the game works:

Each player will play a card to the trick, revealing them simultaneously. If someone plays an Ace, they have to announce if it’s high or low when they turn it over. The player who plays the highest-ranking card wins the Diamond. They get to keep the Diamond and place it face up in front of them.

And that’s it! Now you’re ready to start playing the game. Have fun!

If you play two cards of the same rank, the third card beats them. If all three players play the same card, no one wins the trick. Then we play another trick, and the winner gets the diamond. The three cards from the tied trick go back to the players’ hands.

If the Joker is shown last, it doesn’t count for points.

SCORING

Players add up the points for the Diamonds they collect. Only the players with the most and the fewest points add them to their score. The player in the middle gets zero points. If two players tie, the third player gets their points, and the tied players get zero.

WINNING

The first player to score 100 points or more wins.

For another version of Gops by David, try out Throps.

For another version of Gops by David, try out Throps.