JACKSTRAWS

also called Spillikins, or Pick-up-sticks, game of skill, played by both children and adults, with thin wooden sticks, or with straws or matches. Early 18th-century jackstraws were made of ivory or bone, later ones of wood or plastic. To begin the game, the jackstraws (20 to 50) are bunched in one hand and set vertically on a table or other smooth, flat surface, then released suddenly so that the straws fall in a jumble. Each player in turn attempts to remove a single jackstraw without disturbing any other. If he succeeds he may try again, but if another straw moves, the player loses his turn. The player with the most straws when the pile is totally reduced wins. Sometimes the game is played with a retriever hook, either made as part of the set or improvised with a bent paper clip or a bent straight pin stuck in a match. Some sets have jackstraws shaped like saws, hoes, rakes, ladders, and other implements, thus making the game more difficult. The game is supposedly of great antiquity, perhaps originating with the Chinese.