Burgle Bros Blackjack Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
  • Player Setup
  • Tool Deck
• Goal
• Game Play
  • Draw Phase
  • Trade Phase
  • Evaluate Total
• End of Round
• The Man in the Van
• 1 or 2 Player Games
• Notes
• Advanced Missions
• Reference Card
• Character Abilities
• Tools
• Man in the Van Card

Components

• 1 Poker deck with Jokers
• 9 Ability cards (icon matching a character)
• 9 Tool cards
• 4 Info cards
• Man in the Van card

Setup

Player Setup

• Each player picks a Character from the 4 Kings, 4 Queens, or Joker. Place it in front of you with the Targeted side toward you.
• Take the corresponding Ability card for that Character and tuck it under the top of the card, until 2 stealth icons are visible (see diagram).
• Shuffle the poker cards A-10 of all suits (40 cards in total).
• Deal each player 10 cards face down to create a personal deck for each player.
• Each player takes a random Jack and the Info card matching their Jack's suit.
• Your Jack represents your Guard: shuffle it into your personal deck. Place the Info card in front of you, reminding you which suit helps you crack your safe.
• In a 2- or 3-player game, shuffle the unclaimed Jacks with the remaining deck (A-10) and put it next to the Man in the Van card in the play area.
• Set 1 Joker aside. Return remaining Jokers, Qs, Ks, and Ability cards to the box.

Tool Deck

• Shuffle the Tool cards and place them face down off to the side of the play area.

Goal

• Each player must crack their safe by collecting 5 cards in the same suit as their Guard (Jack) in their display.
• Once all players have cracked their safe all players win.
• Guards can make players lose stealth. If you lose stealth, adjust the Ability card underneath your Character card to show 1 fewer stealth. If any player must lose stealth when they don't have any, all players lose.

Game Play

The game is played in a series of rounds, each with a number of turns, in which you draw and trade cards. Each turn will follow the 3 phases listed below. Players start each round as 'active' and play each phase simultaneously. Keep playing turns until all players (other than the Man in the Van) are 'inactive'.

Draw Phase

• All active players must simultaneously draw 1 card from their own deck and place it in their display.
• Any card you draw or trade for in a round is placed in your display.
• The current card is always the card that you most recently added to your display. Make sure other players know which is your current card.
• In a 2- or 3-player game, also draw 1 card from the Man in the Van's deck and place it face up next to the Man in the Van card.
• If you are out of cards to draw at any time, shuffle your discard pile to form a new deck.

Trade Phase

• All active players may trade their current card with the current card of other active players (including the Man in the Van).
• You may not trade your Guard.
• You may trade simultaneously with anyone but must end this phase with the same number of cards as before.
• Trades are optional.

Evaluate Total

Each active player adds up the numbers of all cards in their display. Aces count as 1 or 11. Guards have a value of 10. Check the following cases, in order.

• If your total is exactly 5, 10, 15, or 20 you may peek at 1 card.
  • Peek: Look at the top card of your deck and either discard it or place it back on top of your deck. There is no penalty if the card is your Guard.
• If your total is exactly 21 you choose:
  • Stay active and gain no benefit, or become inactive and choose 1 benefit:
    • Discard 1 Guard from any player's display (active or inactive) to their discard pile, OR
    • Each player (active or inactive) may peek at 1 card.
• If you have 5 cards in the suit of your Guard in your display, you cracked the safe!
  • The Guard card can be one of these cards.
  • There may be additional cards of other suits in your display.
  • Draw 1 Tool card from the bottom of the deck. This is a single use power you can use anytime even if you are inactive. Tuck it under your card on the bottom.
  • You become inactive.
  • You still participate in future rounds and must survive until all other players have cracked their safes.
  • For the rest of the game, you now are "Targeted". To remember you are Targeted, rotate your Character card 180° so the targeted side is on top.
  • Each player may crack their safe only once.
• If you are still active, and your total is over 21: trigger an alarm:
  • You become inactive. Discard 2 cards from your deck. If either is your Guard, you lose 1 stealth. Choose one of the two cards to remove from the game (not a guard) - Also referred to as Trashing.

If all players (other than the Man in the Van) are inactive, the round ends. Otherwise, play another turn.

End of Round

The round ends when all players (other than the Man in the Van) are inactive.

• If the Guard is still in your display, you lose 1 stealth.
• Discard all cards in your display to your personal discard pile. Any cards received in trades are now your cards.
• You become active. Start a new round.

Game ends when:

• ✅ All players have cracked their safe → You all win.
• ❌ Any player at 0 stealth who must lose stealth → All players lose.

The Man in the Van

In a 3-player game, there will be a Man in the Van.

• The Man in the Van has his own deck and discard pile.
• In phase 1 he always draws 1 card.
• If he draws a Guard (Jack), one player (active or inactive) may discard a Guard (Jack) from in front of them.
• You may trade with the Man in the Van's current card (not Jacks).
• He does not trigger alarms, and never is inactive.
• Discard his current card at the end of each turn.
• When he is out of cards, reshuffle his discard pile into a new draw pile.

1 or 2 Player Games

For 1 or 2 player games, we recommend playing 4 characters, instead of Man in the Van. Players can control more than one character.

Notes

• Only your own Guard can make you lose stealth.
• If multiple things are happening at the same time (peeking, character abilities, tools etc.), players can choose the order in which to execute them.
• Trades are a key cooperative element to help players collect their suit.
• You can trade to get someone to 21 or prevent them from going over.
• If you have a Guard in your display and become inactive, other players might still save you before you lose stealth at the end of the round.
• Pushing your luck and drawing when you have 4 cards of your suit can be worth it, because you don't trigger alarm when you crack your safe with a total over 21.
• "Remove" means to take the card out of your deck permanently.

Advanced Missions

New Keyword 'Burn X': When you crack your safe, remove X of your lowest-value cards out of your deck permanently, from the cards you cracked the safe with.

Here are advanced challenges:

• Bank Job: Burn 1.
• Penthouse Job: Burn 2.
• Casino Job: Burn 2. You must get a Straight Flush of 4 cards to open your safe.
• Legendary Job: Burn 2. You must get a Straight Flush of 4 cards to open your safe. Players start with 1 Stealth.

Reference Card

1. Draw
2. Trade
3. Check Total
   • Total of 5, 10, 15, 20: Peek.
   • Total of 21: choose 1:
     • Discard 1 Guard.
     • Each player peeks.
     • Then become inactive.
   • 5 cards in your Guard's suit: Crack Safe. Draw tool. Become inactive and Targeted.
   • Active and Total over 21: Discard 2 cards. If Guard, lose 1 stealth. Become inactive.
   • Bail? Become Inactive.
   • Targeted? Alarm if Total <=16.

Character Abilities

HAWK (THERMO VISION) On a total of 10, 15, 20 you may peek at 2 cards and discard max 1. No peeking on a total of 5.

ACROBAT (OVERHEAD) If your first card in a round is a Guard, discard it and lose no stealth. Draw another card.

HAMMER (JURY RIG) During setup and when cracking the safe: Draw 2 tools and keep 1, reshuffle the other into the Tool Deck.

SPOTTER (GOOD GUESS) Just before shuffling, place all 9s and 10s face up within the face-down deck.

JUICER (OVERLOAD) Your alarm-trigger threshold is 24, not 21.

RAVEN (DISTRACTION) If your total is over 21 but even, you don't trigger an alarm. You still become inactive. Targeted alarms still trigger.

ROOK (HELPING HAND) When you peek, if you don't discard, you may peek once at another player's deck and may discard it.

HACKER (ACCESS CODE) When trading, you may trade your current card or the card before that one.

PETERMAN (TUMBLER) At the end of the round, you may put your current card on top of your deck.

Tools

CROWBAR Remove 1 card in any display from the game (not a Guard).

CRYSTAL BALL Look at all the other players' decks. Tell them where their Guards are.

STETHOSCOPE Choose a player. For the rest of the round they subtract 7 from their total.

DONUTS Choose a player at the start of a round. If they draw a Guard this round, discard it and draw a new card.

MAKEUP KIT Each player that has cracked their safe gains 1 stealth.

E.M.P. No alarms are triggered this round. You still become inactive.

DYNAMITE All players remove their current card from the game (no Guards) and draw again.

VIRUS Put the Joker in your discard pile. It counts as a 0 of any suit.

SMOKE BOMB Discard all guards if there are at least 2 in players' displays.

Man in the Van Card

2-3 Players. Deck is remaining A-10 cards plus unclaimed Jacks.

• Always draws a card.
• If Jack drawn, one player may discard a Guard.
• May trade (not Jacks).
• Discard card at end of turn.
• Reshuffle discard when out of cards.