OBJECTIVE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL JUJITSU: Reach the target score first.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2+ players
NUMBER OF CARDS: Standard 52 card deck, add more decks in games with 3+ players
RANK OF CARDS: K (high), Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A
TYPE OF GAME: Strategy
AUDIENCE: Teens and Adults
INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGICAL JUJITSU
Psychological Jujutsu is a game entirely based on psychology. The game is purely strategy with limited amounts of chance involved in influencing the outcome of the game. Outsmarting or having quick reflexes, however, are not tools which will help you win. In order to win the game, you must know what your opponent is thinking.
THE DEAL
A single suit is removed from the deck and shuffled. After, it is placed on the table, face-down. Players receive an entire set of cards, from Ace to King. Each of these cards represent numbers 1-13; Ace being equal to one, two equal to two, and so on, ending with King equal to thirteen.
THE PLAY
The game of psychological Jujitsu has a total of 13 rounds.
Bidding
At the start of each new round, the top card from the pile containing the extra suit is auctioned off to players. Players pick a card from their hand, secretly, and on the count of three simultaneously reveal their card’s. These cards are bids for the top card of the extra suit. Highest ranking card, which translates to the highest bid, wins the card. All cards are worth their numerical value, either printed or assigned to them.
In the event of a tie, the card being auctioned is discarded as are all cards played that round.
However, there is a variation to this rule. Players may also discard only the two tied cards and award the bid to the next highest ranking card.
Post-Bid & Scoring
Once a player wins a card, the card must be placed in front of them, face-up.
Since there are 13 rounds, and each player has 13 cards, players play only one card per round.
After each hand is completed, player’s score their hand and add it to their cumulative score. Each hand has 91 points total. Players earn points from winning cards in the bid.
Keep track of the cards your opponent’s play so you can play your hand more strategically.
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