How to Play the Card Game Sequence

Sequence is a board game consisting of 104 playing cards and 135 poker chips, 35 red, 50 blue and 50 green. It is a game of strategy in which you match wits with your opponent in a race toward victory. The game is designed for two or three players, or two or three teams. It can be purchased for less than 15 dollars. So, round up the family and choose your teams. You’ll find hours of fun in the game of Sequence.

Each team must have an equal number of players, alternately positioned around the game board. Each player will draw a playing card from the deck. The person with the lowest card (Ace’s high) has the honor of dealing. Shuffle the cards and deal beginning with the player to the right of the dealer. The amount of cards dealt depends on the amount of players. Two players translates into each player being dealt seven cards. Three and four players each receive six cards. Six players will receive five cards. Eight and nine players get four cards each, and if your group is large enough for 10 or 12 players, each player receives three cards. The remaining cards are turned face down, forming a draw pile; the pile from which you will draw a card when it is your turn.

The object of the game is to score a sequence before your opponent. If three or more players or teams are playing, it takes two sequences to win the game. A sequence is achieved by a series of five like colored chips, straight across, up and down, or diagonally. You’ll note the board consists of pictures of playing cards. All playing cards are pictured with the exception of the Jacks. This is because all two-eyed Jacks are wild and can be played as any card on the board. One-eyed Jacks cannot be played to your benefit, with respect to sequence building. Instead, a one-eyed Jack is more of a sequence breaker, as it allows you to remove the chip of any player you oppose.

Placing chips on the board is easy enough to do. Once you’ve drawn a card from the draw pile, place a card from your hand face up in front of you. Place one of your chips on the corresponding card on the board. You may not place a chip on the corresponding space on the board if another player has already placed a chip there. The chip of another player may only be removed through the play of a one-eyed Jack. Don’t be so quick to drop the Jack, however, as it may be beneficial to save this card in an effort to secure a sequence.

Any cards in your hand that cannot be played because the corresponding cards on the board already have chips on them are considered a "dead cards." You can drop one dead card when your turn comes around, but you must announce it prior to drawing a fresh card from the draw pile.

Play continues in a counter clockwise fashion with each player picking from the draw pile. Victory comes when a player, or team, completes a sequence of five chips diagonally, straight across, or straight up and down. Remember to hold those one-eyed Jacks. When your opponent succeeds with four matching chips, you'll want to use the one-eyed Jack to pull a chip before your opponent adds the fifth.