How to play Spit

Spit, also known as Slam, is a card game of the shedding family for two players. The game is played until all of a player's cards are gone.

This is a 2 player game.

The Rank

1 deck of cards, A (high or low) K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.

Layout

Each player has their own deck and begins by placing the top four cards from their deck face up in front of them in a row. There should be lots of empty space in the middle of the table between the two players. (In fact it is best to play on the floor, since cards often go flying once play starts.) Players hold the remainder of their deck in one of their hands during play.

Object of the Game

The winner is the first player to get rid of all of their cards.

The Play

There are no turns taken in this game, everyone plays at the same time. When both players are ready, one of them says "spit" and immediately each player takes the top card from his deck and plays it to the center of the table. These first cards should be far away from each other, forming two play piles between the players. Players immediately begin playing their cards from their layout onto the center piles. A card can be played only if it is one higher or one lower than the card on the top of the pile. The card's suit does not matter, and an ace can be played high or low.

Example: One could play the 9 from the layout on the 10 pile since it is one lower in sequence.

A player may only use one hand to move a card and may only play one card at a time. Many times both players can play a card on the same pile. In that case the player who gets there first gets the play and the other player must take back their card. This race to play out the cards can get very exciting!

Cards played from the layout row may immediately be replaced by a new card from the top of the deck.

Players cannot exceed four cards in their layout rows.

The players continue to rapidly play cards to the center and replace cards in their rows until all players get "stuck" and cannot make a play. Often several dozen cards can be played before all players get stuck. When all players are stuck, they say "ready, spit," and again deal new starter cards to the top of each pile in the center. Play then continues as before.

How to Keep Score

When a player has played all the cards in their deck, they must continue play using only the cards left in their layout (even though he will not have a card to "spit" with if all players get stuck). When that player "goes out" by playing the last card from their layout row, they win. If both players have run out their decks and get stuck before going out, the player with the fewest cards left wins.