ackses . This game is played on a smooth, hard and flat surface like the surface of a table, but it is common to play on the floor.
They are usually sold together as a toy, at the market, or at a toy store, included in a small plastic bag or net.
One or more people can play jackses and each participant plays with one hand. These take turns depending on the scope of the previous player’s ability, unless it is one of the variations of the game in which the rules determine otherwise.
Summary
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- 1 Elements of the game
- 2 How to play?
- 3 Other names
- 4 Sources
Game elements
The set of jackses, generally, consists of a multiple number of identical characteristic formations of this game; these resemble three-dimensional pseudo-asterisks of equal dimensions to each other; the set can be more or less than 10 jackses. There is no definitive rule that establishes whether or not the group of jackses can be greater than the volume it covers on the palm of the hand or the amount in a handful.
In the mid to late 20th century, these pieces were commonly made of metal, and in the early 21st century, they are also made of plastic materials. For preventive considerations, and for a greater range of skills among participants, the size of current pieces may be larger than that of older pieces, as well as having a softer texture and stiffness.
The ball must be small enough so that it can be caught by the participants’ hand, but not so small that it is uncomfortable to play with it; For boys and girls perhaps a 3-centimeter ball works well. But not only the size makes a good ball for this game, but that it has the appropriate hardness and elasticity so that it causes a rebound of approximately 30% to 50% of a free fall from a height of about 30 centimeters; Either way, the ball must produce a bounce high enough to allow movement of the hand. Only one bounce of the ball is allowed during each piece collection cycle.
How to play
This game can be played in a comfortable space, where participants can sit comfortably on the floor. The jackses are thrown to the ground and a rubber ball is bounced to the ground, while the ball is in the air the jackses are collected one by one in the first turn.
Then they are collected two by two, three in three, four in four and so on, until all the jackses are collected. The ball should be received with one hand, none of the jackses should be moved when the others are being picked up. The player with the highest score wins.
Other names
In Cuba this game is known as “Yaquis” (name homologous to that of its pieces, and that no relation bears with the indigenous ethnic group of northern Mexico). It is very popular, especially among girls. It has very different variants, such as picking the Yaquis one by one, very quickly and with the tips of the fingers, called “little point”.
In Costa Rica this game is known as “jackses”, and in English they are known as jacks. In Peru the game is also very common and it is called Jaxes (spelling from Jackses), and it was probably carried by the Asian immigrants of the early 20th century. In Colombia and the Dominican Republic the game is known as “yases”, jacks, or catapiz in the department of Antioquia and on the coast it is called chibcha. In Argentina , although it is not played with the same pieces, but with small stones, but with an almost identical mechanics, it is known as Payana. In Ecuador , the popular name of this game is “Macatetas”
