In a 21-question game, there is a brief intermission after the tenth question. Most versions of YDKJ offer the choice of playing a 7- or 21-question game some versions offer only 15 questions, and the 4th volume, The Ride, offers only 13 questions. However, in YDKJ: The Ride, all the hosts from the previous games, including Nate Shapiro, the original host from the first game, take turns hosting, with the exception of Buzz, the host from the second game who is known for being hated by most fans of the game due to his nasel voice. (Since this is not a real quiz show, however, players do not win real money.) All versions of the game have an off-screen 'host' who is voiced by a Jellyvision staff member and referred to by his nickname - 'Cookie' and 'Schmitty' are the two most common in the series.
The premise of You Don't Know Jack is similar to that of a TV quiz show: players compete for money by answering trivia questions. One, two, or three players can play the game.
