How to Play
Every person in the room starts with 5 cards in 5 columns. These cards are different for everyone! Every five seconds a card to the left will flip over, and you have to quickly decide whether you want to add that card to a column or let it go. This card is the same for everyone!
I see!
Your goal is to make the columns add up to 21. Whenever a column adds up to 21 it will vanish and you'll get 200 points! Then a new card will take it's place and you just keep going. ^_^
Number cards are their face value. (4 of Spades = 4) The Jack, Queen, and King all count as 10's. An Ace counts as either a 1 or an 11. By default the game counts it as 11 unless that would make the column go over 21.
Too much math? Well, Gamesville made it very, very easy for you. ^_^ First off, if a new card can fit in a column without going over 21, then that column will be a brighter red. It's very subtle.
That IS subtle!
I added some green check marks to help. ^_^ All of those columns could use the 6! You cannot accidentally "bust" a column by going over, like you can in Turbo 21.
Secondly, if you hover over a column, at the top is the new total if you add the Current Card.
8 + 10 = 18. Yay math!
If you get stuck you can clear a column. Doing this will "use" up the Current Card, so be careful!
Also, when a card appears that would make any column equal 21, Magic 21 will highlight that column.
Oooh! A one-eyed Jack!
As you can see, if the new card would turn multiple columns into 21's, then they're all highlighted! ^_^
How to Win
The goal of Magic 21 is to clear as many columns as possible. Whenever you clear a column you reveal a reward! It can be anything between 10-500 GVs, or even the Jackpot!
Aww. No jackpot. :(
The reward is completely unrelated to your score. You might have a score of 10,000 points, but only earn 100 GVs. Conversely, you might have a score of 1,000 and earn more than that in GVs! Just remember that the more columns you clear, the more chances you have to win GVs and the Jackpot!
Bonus Points
The following special 21's earn an extra 1,000 bonus points on top of the normal points!
- Lucky 7's = 777
- Suicide King = King of Hearts + any Ace
- 1-eyed Jacks = Jack of Spades OR Jack of Hearts + any Ace
- 5 card 21 = Any 5 cards that add up to 21!
Streaks
Whenever you make one 21 after another, that's a streak. Streaks are EXTREMELY good because they multiply your score for that 21! Just remember that streaks do not multiply the bonus points for a special 21.
Here's an example of a 5 streak!
- 1st 21 = 200 points
- 2nd 21 (Streak 2x) = 400 points
- 3rd 21 (Streak 3x) = 600 points
- 4th 21 Lucky 7's (Streak 4x) = 1,800 points
- 5th 21 Suicide King (Streak 5x) = 2,000 points
I'll be honest. Thus far all of my big streaks have been completely accidental. But they're also the only reason I ever win. ^_^
Woohoo!!
Jackpot
Magic 21 offers the biggest progressive jackpot on Gamesville. It starts at $777 and slowly increases until it hits $4,999, or until someone wins it!
Gold members automatically get double jackpots for Magic 21, which means their prize ranges from $1,554 to $9,998!!!!
But guess what I found? ^_^ Yup, I found a way for free players to get double jackpots too! It's in the Gamesville rules, so it's nothing sneaky.
You need a business size envelope, 3x5 index card, postage, and something to write with. (I suggest a pen.)
Write ALL of the following information on the card.
- Your full name
- Gamesville account name
- Your mailing address
- Date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy)
- Daytime phone number and e-mail address
"Gamesville Magic 21 Double Jackpot Game "
c/o Lycos, Inc.
100 Fifth Ave.
Waltham, MA 02451-8703
As soon as they receive your entry you'll get double jackpots in Magic 21 for a MONTH!! So don't spam them with entries!
Reality check: Please remember that since it's such a big prize there are few winners. Someone wins the jackpot *about* once a month, but it can go far beyond that.
Tips & Tricks
1. There are more 10 (value) cards than anything else in the deck, so your best bet is to make columns equal 11. Then you can put a 10 card right on top for an easy 21! Some combinations to look for are:
- 2 + 9
- 3 + 8
- 4 + 7
- 5 + 6
3. Keep an eye out for the King of Hearts, Jack of Hearts, or the Jack of Spades. 1,000 extra points if you can pair them with an Ace!
4. Lucky 7's are fun to make, but if there's less than a minute left, don't leave a 7 card just sitting there. It's unlikely that you'll get the two 7's you need to make the 777! Use it however you can!
5. If you've already gone over 11 (which happens a lot) then try to have columns with different totals. You have a better chance of making a streak with one column each of 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, versus five columns of all 19's.
You see, there are two decks in the "shoe." (That's where the Current Card comes from.) In the example where every column is different, there are a total of 40 different cards that would instantly make a 21! But if every column is 19, then there are only 8 cards that would make an instant 21.
6. If a column has 5 cards but does not add up to 21, it will clear and you'll get GVs! You won't get any points for your score, but it will carry on a streak for the next turn!
Sometimes your cards just suck. Do the best you can and try not to get discouraged. ^_^
Final Rating
In truth, I like Turbo 21 better than Magic 21. I tend to get frustrated waiting for the cards that I need. As with all things, even when the odds are in your favor, they still can go against you. :(
But ya know, I'm not an avid fan of 21 games anyway. *^_^* This highlighting features are nice, so I'll rate this one 4 stars out of 5. If you're a fan of Magic 21, please share your opinion and/or tips in comments below! Thanks! <3