How to Play Spit

Spit is a fast-paced, simultaneous card game for two players that rewards quick reflexes and sharp observation. Unlike most card games, there are no turns — both players play at the same time, racing to be the first to get rid of all their cards. Played with a standard 52-card deck, Spit is one of the most energetic and exciting card games you can play with just two people. The game is sometimes called Slam or Speed (though Speed is technically a different game with similar mechanics).

Setup and Dealing

Shuffle the deck and deal 26 cards to each player. Each player then deals five stockpiles in a row in front of them. The first pile has 1 card, the second has 2, the third has 3, the fourth has 4, and the fifth has 5 cards — for a total of 15 cards across the stockpiles.

Turn the top card of each stockpile face-up. The remaining 11 cards form your spit pile, which you hold face-down in your non-dominant hand or place face-down to the side. Leave space between the two players for two center spit piles where cards will be played during the game.

Both players set up simultaneously. Once both players are ready, the game begins.

Starting the Round

To start, both players count down together — "one, two, three, spit!" — and simultaneously flip the top card of their spit pile face-up onto the center of the table. This creates two shared spit piles. Play begins immediately and continues without pause. There are no turns in Spit; both players play as fast as they can at the same time.

Playing Cards

Players use only one hand to move cards from their stockpiles onto the center spit piles. A card may be played onto a spit pile if it is exactly one rank higher or one rank lower than the current top card on that pile. Suit does not matter — only rank counts.

• One Up or One Down — A 7 can be played on a 6 or an 8. A Queen can be played on a Jack or a King.
• Aces Wrap Around — An Ace can be played on a King or a 2. This means the sequence wraps: K-A-2 or 2-A-K are both valid.
• Either Spit Pile — You may play on either of the two center spit piles, not just the one you started.
• Top Cards Only — You may only play the face-up top card of any of your five stockpiles. When a top card is removed, flip the next card in that stockpile face-up.
• Moving Between Stockpiles — You may move a face-up card from one stockpile to another if it fits in sequence. This frees up face-down cards underneath to be turned over.

When Both Players Are Stuck

If neither player can make a legal move, both players simultaneously spit again by flipping the next card from their spit pile onto the center spit piles. This provides new cards to play on and restarts the action.

If a player has used up their entire spit pile but still has stockpile cards remaining, only the other player spits. If both spit piles are exhausted and neither player can move, the round ends.

Ending a Round

A round ends when one player empties all five stockpiles or when play becomes completely stuck. When a player empties their stockpiles, they slap the smaller of the two center spit piles. The other player takes the larger pile. Players want the smaller pile because fewer cards means fewer cards to deal in the next round.

Each player collects the spit pile they claimed plus any cards remaining in their own stockpiles and spit pile. Shuffle your collected cards and deal new stockpiles for the next round. If you have fewer than 15 cards, deal as many full stockpiles as you can (still 1-2-3-4-5 pattern) and you will have no spit pile — a strong position.

Winning the Game

The game continues across multiple rounds. Each round, players re-deal their collected cards into stockpiles. The first player to completely run out of cards — emptying all stockpiles with nothing left to deal — wins the game. A player with no spit pile has an advantage: when a round ends, they slap whichever center pile they want (ideally the smaller one), putting them even closer to winning.

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