How to Play the Card Game Knockout
Knockout is a pretty straightforward trick-taking game for young and old alike. Players are simply dealt a hand of cards—the number of which changes per round—and are then tasked to take one trick. If they are unable to take a trick, they lose a life. Once a player is out of lives, they’re “knocked out” of the game.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Give each player two poker chips (or tokens of some sort). These will come into play later in the game of Knockout.
-
2
Determine the order of play by dealing out the cards until one player is dealt a Jack. This player will act as the first dealer. Subsequent deals will be to the left in a clockwise direction around the table.
-
-
3
Deal out the deck until each player has a total of 7 cards in her hand. After all hands have been settled, set the remaining deck aside and turn over the top card. This will be the trump suit for the first hand.
-
4
Lay a card, starting with the person to the left of the dealer. You must follow suit when possible. Highest card takes the trick, and its winner will lead the next card. If a player is unable to follow suit, she may either throw off or play trump. In this scenario, the highest trump card will take the trick.
-
5
Continue to play until all the tricks have been taken and no cards remain in any player’s hand.
-
6
Take note of all the players’ tricks. If anyone at the table was unable to take a trick, they lose a token. Once a player’s tokens are gone, they are eliminated from the game, hence the name Knockout.
-
7
Pass the deck to the player to the left of the first dealer. She will act as the next dealer and deal out the deck until each player has a total of 6 cards in her hand. Same rules apply, except for one.
-
8
Call trump if you are the player who got the most tricks in the previous round. You now have the advantage of selecting trump based on your hand. If two players have tied for most tricks, they each must cut the deck. Highest cut calls trump.
-
9
Continue to play the game of Knockout with each successive hand being reduced by one card until only a single card is dealt to each player.
-
10
Win the game of Knockout by being the only player left at the end of the game.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If two or more players are remaining at the end of the single card round, another single card round is played. But instead of allowing the player with the most tricks to call trump, the top card of the remaining deck is turned up.
