How to Play Spit

Learn how to play the fast paced card game of Spit and have a blast playing the next time you are with a friend.

Many times the two card games called Spit and Speed become confused with each other because of their similarities in game play. How to play Speed differs only slightly from the card game of Spit. The main difference between the two favorite card games for two players is in the set-up of the beginning cards. Both are extremely fun and exciting to play and either one will provide a quick spurt of entertainment at anytime.

How to play Spit is easy and fun to learn. Set-up for the game begins with using any standard deck of 52 cards. Each player is dealt 26 cards and forms a specific lay-out for play. Sitting across from each other the two players form 5 separate ‘stock piles’ leaving a space between for ‘spit piles.’

Each of the player’s 5 stock piles are formed by players dealing 1 card face up and dealing the following 4 face down in front of them. Beginning again, a player deals a card face up onto the second pile and deals the following 3 face down. Continuing on, players finish the pattern with the final card face up on the fifth pile.

The stock piles will use 15 cards, leaving 11 cards remaining which will be used for the spit piles. After both players are ready, both players will count down from three. They will say, “Three, Two, One, Spit!” and from their spit pile (the stack of 11) they will each place a card face up between their stock piles. (The following image shows the initial set-up with spit cards in the center)

The race to be the first to get rid of all their cards (spit stack and stock piles) begins. The players simultaneously play by placing a card numerically above or below the card shown in the center spit pile from any of their stock piles. Each player plays as quick as they can on whatever they can.

For example, if the two center spit cards are a TEN and an ACE (as shown in the above image), the player with the face-up cards of 9,3,K,2 and 8 can play the 9 on the 10. The player can also place either the K or the 2 on the ACE since the ACE can represent a 1.

When the top faced up card is used from stock piles, players will turn over the next. If any stock pile is completely used, a stock pile card may be placed in its spot. Only 5 stock piles are allowed at the most. However, since part of the object of the game is to get rid of all cards in the stock piles, eventually the piles will be depleted to 5, 4,3,2,1 and none.

The first player to deplete all stock piles will yell ‘Spit’ and slap the center spit pile in which they feel contains the least amount of cards.

All cards leftover from a player’s spit stack and the chosen spit piles are shuffled then by each player and the beginning lay-out is formed again. If a player does not have enough cards (15) to complete a lay-out, they complete it the furthest they can.

If only one player has a spit stack, then only one player will place a spit card into the center.

The spit stacks are used if at any time during the game players are unable to place any of their stock pile cards onto the center spit cards. At this time, each player counts down again and places another spit card into the center and the race continues.

The winner of the game is the first player to get rid of all their stock cards, and not have any spit cards left either.

The fast action and competitive play of Spit makes it a great game for two players to enjoy. The card game of Spit can be played any where there is a level playing surface and when players have even the smallest bit of spare time. The meaning of the old saying of ‘time flies when having fun’ will for sure be felt while playing Spit. It is a perfect game to play when wanting to pass a bit of time or simply to have a night full of excitement.