How to play the Spit card game

1: Gather 2 players and a standard 52 card deck

All you need to play Spit is a standard, 52-card deck of playing cards. Spit is a 2 player game and players need to sit across from each other and should be close enough that they can each reach the communal card piles between them.

2: Chose a dealer and deal the cards evenly to both players

It doesn’t matter who deals since play will be simultaneous and there is no advantage on position. So just pick a dealer by any method, shuffle the deck, then split the deck evenly by dealing a card to each player, face down, until all cards have been dealt. Each player will have 26 cards.

3: Set up each player’s cards into 5 stacks of 1-5 cards

Once the cards have been dealt, each player will need to set up their side of the board. Players will create 5 columns of stockpiles, by placing the cards from left to right, then sliding over one column for each subsequent round.

The first column will have one card, the second column two cards, the third three, the fourth four and the fifth five.

Once the cards have been distributed, flip over the top card from each of the five stockpiles.

The remaining cards form each player’s draw pile, which is referred to as their “spit cards.”

4: Play the first round

4A: Start the first spit round turn by each player declaring “spit” and flipping a card into the spit piles

To start the first round, the players will say “spit,” at the same time, then each flips over a card and places it in the middle, face up, to form their own “spit pile.”

Get ready, because play gets going really fast once the new card hits the spit pile.

4B: Move sequentially ranked cards from the stockpiles to the either spit pile

With the round activated when the spit card was played, players now move quickly to play sequential cards from their stockpile onto either spit pile.

The only cards that can be played are either one rank higher or one rank lower than the card on the spit pile. For example, if a card in the spit pile is a 4, then either a 2 or or 3 can be played on it.

Aces are both high (can be played on top of a King) and low (can be played on a 2), and they can also connect play from high to low (K, A, 2, ) or low to high (2, A, K).

4C: Continue flipping and playing cards from the stockpile to the spit piles

Once the top card is played on the spit pile, the next card below it in that stockpile is flipped over and is a playable card.

The action doesn’t stop with just one card being played. Players will be quickly playing as many cards as they can in a round, since the goal is to shed all of their cards. Players will often be playing cards one after the other, often switching from one spit pile to another, and going both up and down directions in rank. Players may only use one hand and can only play one card at a time.

If one one of the 5 stockpiles is empty, players can move the top card from any other pile to fill that spot. However, only 5 stockpiles can be used.

Players cannot create a new, 6th stockpile.

Note: Cards of the same rank can be stacked together into the same stockpile, but must be played individually.

4D: Pause play when neither player can move

The round pauses once neither player is able to play any cards.

Note: If there is a playable card, a player must play it. They may not pass.

4E: Resume play with another spit card

To resume play after neither player can move, both players again flip the top card from their spit cards draw deck and flip it into the middle spit piles and say “spit.”

Players resume playing sequential cards and revealing new cards from their stockpiles as they play.

4F: Empty your stockpile, slap either deck, and add to spit cards to close the round

Once either player has played all of the cards from their spit pile, they will each get one of the spit piles and shuffle it back into their deck. This is very important, as the key to reducing your card count and winning the game is to get smaller piles (in addition to being fast at playing your stockpile).

There are two variations of the game to determine who gets which pile:

1. Spit Pile Slapping Rule Version 1: Round Winner’s Choice: The player who plays all of their stockpile cards gets to choose the spit pile. The player may not count or move the spit pile when evaluating which one to choose and slaps that pile to indicate their choice.
2. Spit Pile Slapping Rule Version 2: Open Race to Slap: Either player may slap a split pile as soon a player plays all their stockpile cards and the first player to slap a pile gets that pile.

We prefer to play version 1 where the first player to play all of the cards from their stockpile gets to choose which of the two spit piles and adds to their spit cards. This gives an advantage to the player who played better during the round.

But many people prefer the fast action of the slapping version. See the variation section below for more details on the Spit Slapping rules.

5: Shuffle each players slapped spit pile with their remaining cards and deal the next round

Each player will take their selected spit pile and shuffle it back with all their other cards (stock pile and spit cards) and then set up there side into the 5 stockpiles like they did to start the game.

As the game progresses, you’ll reach a point when one of the players has fewer than the 15 cards needed to form the 5 stockpiles. In this case, deal out as far as you can and then flip the top card of each pile. That player will have no spit cards, so only one spit pile will be played. The first player to play their stockpile cards wins!

Or, alternatively, if you’re playing the Slap Rule, the first to slap the Spit Pile avoids taking the cards. If it’s the player who played all their cards, they win. If it’s the other player, then the game is extended and the player who slapped 2nd takes those cards, shuffles them, and they play another round.

6: Declare the winner, who has played all their cards wins

The player that sheds all of their cards wins the game.

Spit Card Game Video Tutorial