How to Play James Bond

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: July 23, 2021 References

“James Bond” is an easy, fast-paced card game typically played with 2-4 people. It’s a family-friendly game great for children 4 years and older. Create an even number of 4-card piles per player, and swap cards consistently with those in the middle to get 4 of a kind in each pile. If you are the first player to match 4 of a kind for each pile in your hand, you win the game! When this happens, shout “James Bond!” to declare your victory.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Setting up the Game

1
Shuffle the cards thoroughly and remove the Jokers. The Jokers are not needed when playing James Bond, so you can take both out and set them aside. Then, split the deck into 2 sections. Grip each section in 1 hand, and gently bend each half of the deck. Release the cards so they restack into 1 pile one-by-one. This merges the cards back into 1 deck.^{[1]
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- Shuffle the cards 1-3 times until you feel they are mixed up enough.
2
Deal the cards so each player has the same number of 4-card piles. Deal the cards into even stacks, based on the number of players. If you are playing with 2 people, create 6 piles. If you are playing with 3 people, each player should have 4 piles. Keep the cards face-down so the other players cannot see them.^{[2]
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- You can play with more people, as long as each player has the same number of piles.
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3
Arrange 4 cards face-up in the middle of the table. After each player has their piles in front of them, flip over 4 cards in the middle of the table. Keep the cards in a neat row so they are easy to grab when the game starts.^{[3]
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- Ensure each player can see the front of the card.
4
Say “Go” to start the game! If you’d like, you can start off by counting down from 3 and then saying “Go!” You can also simply blurt out “Go!” when you want to begin.^{[4]
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- In James Bond, every player starts at the same time as opposed to taking turns.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Swapping Cards

1
Try to get 4 of a kind in each of your piles to win the game. To play James Bond, swap the cards in your piles with the cards in the middle until you get 4 of a kind. The first person to get 4 of a kind in each hand is the winner, so race against the other players to see who can match their cards the fastest.
- You also are competing against the other players for the cards in the middle. They may want the same cards as you, so try to play as quickly as you can!
2
Choose 1 of your piles to search through for a match. Grab any stack of cards you like, and look at all 4 of them. Note whether or not the cards in the center are the same as the cards in your hand. Do not look at 2 stacks of cards at the same time, as this is considered cheating.^{[5]
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- Perhaps the cards in the middle are a 4, 2, Ace, and 10 and the cards in your hand are a 5, 7, Ace, and 3. In this case, make a note of the Ace in both your pile and the center of the table.
3
Swap 1 card in your hand for 1 card on the table to work on your set of 4. If 1 of the cards in the center is the same as the card in your hand, lay down another card and pick up the card you’d like. Do this repetitively every time you find a card on the table that matches 1 in your hand. Be sure you only exchange 1 card at a time.^{[6]
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- For example, if you have an Ace in your hand and there’s an Ace on the table, lay down another card in your hand and put the Ace card on the table in your pile. You'd ultimately want 4 Aces in that pile.
- Remember that you're not allowed to swap more than 1 card at a time.
4
Move on to another one of your piles if you can't find any matches. Continue picking up and putting down piles in search of matching cards. If there is no matching card, put the pile face-down and move on to the next pile. You can go down the line, or you can pick piles in whatever order you’d like.^{[7]
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- For example, if the cards in the middle are a 4, 2, Ace, and 10 and the cards in your hand are a Jack, 3, 7, and 8, put down the pile and try another one.
- Try to keep track of what cards are in which piles. This way, you can quickly find your matches and complete each set of 4.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Winning the Game

1
Continue swapping cards until you get 4 of a kind in each stack. The game continues until 1 player has 4 of a kind in all of their piles. If you don't need any of the cards that are in the middle of the table, you may need to wait until someone plays a card that you can use.^{[8]
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2
Yell out “James Bond!” when you collect 4 of a kind in each stack. Do this as soon as you notice you have all piles with 4 of a kind. The first person who shouts out “James Bond!” is the winner. At this point, the game is over and the other players must stop drawing cards.^{[9]
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3
Show your cards to the other players to prove your victory. Flip all of your cards over one at a time to show each set of 4. If you say “James Bond” without having the appropriate cards, you are technically not the winner and gameplay resumes.^{[10]
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- This way, you prove that you won the game fairly without cheating.