Mcloughlin Bros. Game 1894 Fly Away Jack & Jill

The 1894 Mcloughlin Bros. Game of Fly Away Jack & Jill consists of four ‘suits’ of colorful cards with varying amounts of birds.  It is a trick taking card game for two to six players and offers a fun way to enjoy time together.  No matter the age, type, or style of a game, it is this time spent with others playing a game that makes any game great!  That is one of the reasons why I love to collect them; new additions are always played before putting them into the game cabinet.

The game Fly Away Jack & Jill is enjoyed by first dealing all cards out to players.  There are a total of 48 cards made up of twelve cards in four suits.  The suits differ from standard playing cards.  In this particular Mcloughlin game the four suits of cards are: Fly away Jills, Fly away Jacks, Come back Jills, and Come back Jacks.

The object of the card game is to take the least amount of ‘Fly Away Jacks’ during the game.  The player who has the fewest after three rounds of play is considered the winner.  Another method to determine a winner is to continue playing rounds, with players dropping out of the game when their count of ‘Fly Away Jacks’ reaches twenty.  The player remaining last is the winner of this gameplay.

In the game, thirty six cards are numbered 1 thru 9 in each of the four suits, and these rank according to the amount of birds/numbers displayed on them.  Nine is the highest, with one the lowest.  The other twelve cards are marked with letters, A, B, and C.  These show birdhouses and display one, two, or three birds in the four suits on them.  C is the highest rank; A is the lowest.  However, A ranks higher than the numbered nine card and all other numbered cards. This makes C the highest ranking cards.

After the cards are all dealt, the player on the left of the dealer, leads with one of his cards.  Each player follows, and must follow suit, if possible.  The person who plays the highest rank of the suit led, takes the trick.

For instance, if the first player leads with a ‘Fly Away Jill’ card, then all others must try to do so.  If a player does not have a suit to follow, he can play any other.  It is a strategic play that if you cannot follow suit, that he play a ‘Fly Away Jack’ card (and as high as possible).  One of the most depressing tricks to take would be if a player has to lead with a high Fly Away Jack and he would then take an entire trick of these!

After all cards have been played, and tricks taken, players count their ‘Fly Away Jacks’.   As mentioned, the least amount is best.  The scores are noted, and cards dealt again for another fantastic round or a winner determined.

Players wanting to play this game wouldn’t necessarily have to have this antique card game to play.  Players can just note on certain cards the suits and which cards are ‘Fly Away Jacks’.

So go ahead and enjoy a game today! It’s all about Fun and Games!