Red or Black Game

This is a game for 2 players. You need a pack of 52 playing cards. Shuffle the cards.

One player is dealer and turns the cards face up one at a time. Before seeing the card, the other player must say ‘red’ or ‘black’ and wins the card if the guess is correct, otherwise the dealer wins the card. The winner is the player with the most cards at the end.

Is there a winning strategy? Can you find a way to avoid losing? (Easy answer.) Can you find a way to make it more likely that you’ll win? (Slightly more challenging question.)

To vary the game, 5 cards are removed at the start and put aside and nobody knows what they are. Otherwise the game is played in exactly the same way.

What difference, if any, does this make to the game?

Click here to download the RED OR BLACK GAME worksheet.

Click here to download the RED OR BLACK GAME Notes for Teachers for years 3 to 8.

Click here for the Red or Black game poster.