The verandah, rum bar and family-gathering games, where the trash talk is half the fun. Dominoes is close to a national sport; Ludi and cards come out at every holiday.

Jump to a game: Dominoes · Ludi · Kalooki · Strip Me

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16. Dominoes

Ages: 10+ · Players: 4 (two pairs of partners sit opposite) · Equipment: A double-six set (28 pieces); a sturdy table · Where: Table

How to play

1. Shuffle the pieces face down; each player draws 7.
2. The holder of the double six “poses” (plays first) in the first game; after that, the winner of the last game starts.
3. Play passes to the right (counter-clockwise). Match a piece to either open end of the line. If you can’t, you “pass” by knocking the table.
4. The first player to play all their pieces “dominoes” and wins the game for their partnership.
5. If nobody can play (a “block”), the pair with the lowest pip count wins.
6. A match is usually first to six games. Losing six to nil is a “six love”, a lasting embarrassment. Slamming the final piece is tradition.

Cut-throat is the every-player-for-themself version for two to four players, using the same matching rules.

Watch it played: How to play Jamaican dominoes, cut-throat style, JamDom (YouTube)

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17. Ludi

Ages: 6+ · Players: 2–4 · Equipment: A Ludi board (often homemade), 4 counters each, one die · Where: Table

How to play

1. Each player starts with four counters in their home yard.
2. Roll a six to bring a counter onto the track; a six also earns another roll.
3. Move counters round the board by the number rolled.
4. Landing on an opponent’s counter sends it back to their yard.
5. Move all four counters round the track and up your home column to win. You need the exact roll to finish.

Tip: Every yard has its own house rules (two dice, blocking with doubles). Agree them before the first roll.

Watch it played: How to play Jamaican Ludi (YouTube)

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18. Kalooki

Ages: 12+ · Players: 3–6 · Equipment: Two or three decks with jokers · Where: Table

How to play

1. Deal 13 cards each (some homes use 9 or 15). Turn up one card to start the discard pile.
2. On your turn, draw from the stock or the discard pile, then discard one card.
3. The aim is to “go down” with sets (three or more of a kind) and runs (three or more in sequence, same suit). Jokers are wild.
4. Your first meld must reach a minimum point value, commonly 40.
5. Once down, you may add to anyone’s melds. The first to get rid of all their cards wins the hand; the others score penalty points for cards left in hand.
6. Players drop out when they pass the agreed penalty limit (often 150). The last player in wins.

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19. Strip Me (Beggar-My-Neighbour)

Ages: 6+ · Players: 2–4 · Equipment: One deck · Where: Table

How to play

1. Deal the whole deck face down; players don’t look at their cards.
2. Take turns turning the top card onto a central pile.
3. When someone plays a court card, the next player must pay: four cards for an ace, three for a king, two for a queen, one for a jack.
4. If a court card turns up during payment, the debt passes to the next player.
5. If payment finishes with no court card, the player who played the last court card “strips” (takes) the whole pile.
6. Whoever ends up with all the cards wins.

Tip: Pure luck, so it’s a great first card game for children playing with grandparents.

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Rules vary from parish to parish, so treat these as the common version and let local custom win. Did you play it differently in your district? Tell us in the comments.

More Jamaican games: Young Children’s Games (Ages 3–8) · Schoolyard Games for Older Children & Teens (Ages 8–16) · Family & Community Games (All Ages) · All games