How Sequence Works

One night in the 1970s, Owatonna, Minn., native Doug Reuter had a dream. And out of this sleep-induced idea, a game arose: Sequence Five. Reuter spent years developing the concept before entering into a licensing agreement with Jax Ltd. in 1981 to manufacture, distribute and sell Sequence and its subsequent variations -- which later became a contentious arrangement.

During a series of legal disputes (ongoing as of early 2012), Reuter has claimed that Jax violated its licensing agreement, which would provide grounds for contract termination. Jax, in response, denied any violation and has gained restraining orders that have barred Reuter from contacting its customers, saying that his actions were intended to disrupt Jax's relationship with them. Meanwhile, both sides continue to profit from game sales. Jax garners 80 percent of its revenue from Sequence; Reuter receives 20 percent of their income from Sequence as royalty payments [source: Reuter v. Jax Ltd. Inc].

Despite being at the center of legal wrangling, Sequence itself has changed very little throughout the years. Just as it did in the beginning, the standard Sequence game comes with two decks of cards (52 cards each). The game board depicts two of each card in the deck -- except Jokers, which should be taken out of the decks, and Jacks, which are wild (more about that later). The cards appear in a 10-across and 10-down grid on the board. In addition, there are 135 poker chips included: 50 blue, 50 green and 35 red.

Sequence can be played with two to 12 players. If there are more than three individual players, they should divide evenly into teams (up to three teams of four players). To begin the game, one player shuffles and each player cuts the cards. The player with the lowest card deals.

The number of cards dealt to each player varies by the number of people playing:

The player to the left of the dealer goes first. To play, you'll choose a card from your hand and place a chip on one of the corresponding spaces on the game board. The played card then goes face-up into a discard pile, and play passes to the left.

Each corner of the board has a free space that all players can use to their advantage. During your turn you can place a chip there (instead of discarding a card to place a chip as usual) -- but so can an opponent during his turn, even if the corner has already been taken. Making things even more interesting, Jacks are wild: Two-eyed Jacks can represent any card; one-eyed Jacks can remove an opponent's token.

The game ends when a player completes the winning amount of sequences: two for two players or teams, one for three players or teams [source: Board Game Geek].

Fans like Sequence because the rules are easy to understand, but the gameplay can be complex. This is especially attractive to people who don't want to spend hours reading a rule manual, but who do want to embark on a challenging quest to beat an opponent. Sequence is recommended for ages 7 and older, which makes it a game that both children and grandparents can play (as well as other generations in between). Plus, it won't take all day to finish; a typical game only takes about 30 minutes.

After you've mastered the basic concept of Sequence, there are few additional rules you'll need to learn -- dead card, loss of card and table talk:

The idea behind Sequence isn't a new one, at least for many game enthusiasts in the southeastern United States. For years, a similar game known as One-Eyed Jack or Jack Foolery has been taking place on kitchen tables and living room floors. The only difference between these games and Sequence is that the board is homemade: A deck of cards is cut in half, and the halves are glued to a board (or simply dealt out on a flat surface) with the Jokers in the corners. Two fresh decks of cards and a set of poker chips are used for play [source: McCloud].

Whichever version you opt to play, the game can be used to illustrate basic mathematical principles. This can be especially useful for younger players, who can hone -- as the game's name suggests -- number sequencing and pattern recognition skills. For example, by considering which move to make next, as well as which move will help create a potential sequence, they'll practice visualizing and mentally manipulating spatial patterns.

One of the most valuable lessons, however, may come in the form of strategy. With every turn, players must decide whether they will add another chip to a potential sequence, block an opponent's potential sequence or start a new attempt at a sequence. And they must make each move without knowing whether they'll draw the card they need most, which adds an element of luck and suspense to the game.

According to Reuter, who invented the branded Sequence game now marketed by Jax Ltd., the most important strategy to follow is to start the game on the offensive by attempting to make a sequence and to continue this strategy through the middle of the game, switching only to defensive mode to block other players' sequences as the game nears its end. He also encourages players to watch for diagonal sequences, which can be harder to see when you're learning how to play the game [source: Reuter].