SUBTRACTION POLE-VAULT

Materials:
  • 1 deck of number cards, four each of the numbers 0 through 9
    (You can make the number cards from a regular deck of playing cards.  Take the 10's, jacks, and kings out of the deck.  Aces are 1's, queens are 0's.)
  • calculator
  • paper
Number of Players:

One (1) or more (you may play alone or with other players)
Object of the Game:

To get as close to 0 as possible, without going below 0, after five subtractions from a target number.
Directions:

Shuffle the cards and place the deck facedown on the playing surface.  Each player starts at 250.  They take turns doing the following:

  1. Turn over the top 2 cards and make a 2-digit number.  Subtract this number from 250 on scratch paper.  Check the answer on a calculator.
  2. Turn over the top 2 cards and make another 2-digit number.  Subtract it from the result in Step 1.  Check the answer on a calculator.
  3. Do this 3 more times:  Take 2 cards, make a 2-digit number, subtract it from the last result, and check the answer on a calculator.
  4. The closer to 0, the higher the pole-vault jump.  If a result is below 0, the player knocks off the bar; the jump does not count.
Sample Jump: Turn 1: Draw 4 and 5. Subtract 45 or 54. 250-45 = 205
Turn 2: Draw 0 and 6. Subtract 6 or 60. 205-60 = 145
Turn 3: Draw 4 and 1. Subtract 41 or 14. 145-41 = 104
Turn 4: Draw 3 and 2. Subtract 32 or 23. 104-23 = 81
Turn 5: Draw 6 and 9. Subtract 69 or 96. 81-69 = 12

Variations:

Players start by subtracting from 1000 instead of 250 and try to get as close as possible to -10 without going past (below) -10 rather than 0.

For a quicker game:

After turning over the two cards, players could use 0 to make a 3-digit number instead of a 2-digit number.  The number may not start with 0.  For example, if you draw 5 and 8, you can make 58, 85, 580, 850, 508, or 805; but not 50, 80, or 058.

Sample Jump:

Turn 1: Draw 3 and 6. Make 630. 1000-630 = 370
Turn 2: Draw 4 and 1. Make 140. 370-140 = 230
Turn 3: Draw 9 and 5. Make 95. 230-95 = 135
Turn 4: Draw 3 and 5. Make 53. 135-53 = 82
Turn 5: Draw 9 and 8. Make 89. 82-89 = -7