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- Gameplay |
- Variations |
- Printable Rule Sheet |
- Video |
- Q&A |
- Tips |
- Things You'll Need
Spoons is a classic card game that combines the simple fun of a matching game with the frantic thrill of musical chairs. Although it might seem confusing and complicated at first, it’s incredibly easy to learn and an absolute blast to play! You can also increase the excitement (and chaos) of the game with a few variations, so keep scrolling to learn how to play this popular card game.
Things You Should Know
- Place the spoons in the middle of the table, and deal 4 cards to each player.
- The dealer takes a card from the deck and discards a card to the player on their left.
- Everyone repeats this process of passing a card to the left.
- The first player to collect 4 of a kind grabs a spoon, then everyone follows—keep playing until there’s only one person left!
Steps
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Arrange the spoons in a small circle in the middle of the table. Count your players, then place however many spoons is one less than the number of players. For example, if you're playing with 6 people, use 5 spoons.
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Shuffle a standard 52-card deck and deal 4 cards to each person. Keep the remaining cards in a deck next to the dealer. [1] X Research source
- Each player holds 4 cards throughout the entire game.
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Everyone takes one of their cards and discards it to their left simultaneously . The person to the right of the dealer puts their card in a separate discard pile, while the dealer picks up a new card from the deck. [2] X Research source
- You don’t have to exchange cards with the card you receive, unless you want to—just pass the card to the player to your left.
Tip: It is good strategy to exchange cards for a card that matches another card that you already have in your hand.
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Repeat this process of everyone passing to the left. During each round, the dealer picks up a new card and the person to their right adds one to the discard pile—creating a continuous influx of new cards. [3] X Research source
- Each player continues to circulate their cards, making each round pass quickly. It can get hard to keep track of what’s going on, but that makes the game more fun and exciting!
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The first person with 4 of a kind (e.g. all 4 aces or all 4 nines) picks up a spoon. As soon as someone picks up a spoon, the rest of the players can grab one too—even if they don’t have their own 4 of a kind. The person left without a spoon at the end of the round loses.
Note: Usually, players are sneaky about grabbing a spoon so the others continue the game without realizing one is gone.
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Grab a spoon as soon as you notice one missing. Although you can get caught up trying to get your own 4 of a kind, pay attention to other people's movements and check the number of spoons on the table throughout the game. [4] X Research source
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Remove a spoon every time you remove a player from the game. For example, if the first round has 6 players and 5 spoons, the second round has 5 players and 4 spoons. Continue playing until you’re left with a single person, who is the winner.
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Use the spelling method to score points. Similar to the basketball game Horse , give the loser of each round a single letter from the word “Spoon” (e.g. they get the letter “S,” and then “P”). The first player to receive all the letters to spell out the word loses.
- With this variation, the rules stay the same but the game takes a little longer.
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Play the “extreme” version of the game. Instead of arranging the spoons in the middle of the table, place them in random locations in the room you’re playing in. For example, you can position them along the wall or underneath furniture to make the game even more action packed and exciting. [5] X Research source
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Use jokers as wildcards. If you’re looking to make the game a little easier, include the 2 jokers in your deck so you can reach your 4 of a kind faster. Since the joker is a wildcard, you can use it with any combination of cards. [6] X Research source
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Printable Rule Sheet
Community Q&A
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QuestionDoes the dealer play with the other players?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerYes. The dealer is the first person to draw a card from the deck and start the game.
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QuestionWhat happens if no one gets 4 a kind?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerYou can reshuffle the discard pile and keep playing, or you can restart the round.
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QuestionDoes everyone have to pass discarded cards at the same time?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerYes. If one player doesn't pass their cards at the same pace, it can disrupt the flow of the game.
Video
Tips
- If you don’t have enough spoons, you can use other small items like sticks, pens, coins, or wine stoppers.Thanks
- If there are more than 4 players, try to play on a round table so everyone can pass their cards easily.Thanks
Things You'll Need
- Standard 52-card deck
- Plastic or regular spoons (one fewer than the number of players; for example, 3 spoons for 4 people)
References
- ↑ https://howdoyouplay.net/card-games/how-to-play-spoons.html
- ↑ https://australiancardgames.com.au/spoons-rules
- ↑ https://australiancardgames.com.au/spoons-rules
- ↑ https://australiancardgames.com.au/spoons-rules
- ↑ https://australiancardgames.com.au/spoons-rules
- ↑ https://australiancardgames.com.au/spoons-rules
About This Article
To play the card game Spoons, you'll need a deck of cards, 3 to 13 players, and enough spoons so you have one less than the number of people playing. The goal of the game is to be the last player left. If you end up without a spoon, you’re out! To set up the game, sit in a circle and place the spoons in the middle of the playing area. Then, deal 4 cards to each player, and place the rest of the cards face-down in a pile. Start the game by having the dealer take one card off the top of the deck. The dealer places that card in their hand, then passes one of the other cards in their hand to the player on their left. That player then passes one of their cards to the player on their left. This continues around the circle, with the dealer continuing to draw cards from the pile and the last player in the circle placing their cards in a discard pile. As you’re passing cards along, try to get 4 of a kind. Once you get 4 of a kind, take one of the spoons. At that point, everyone else can grab a spoon too. Whoever is left without a spoon is out. Then, the next round begins. Keep playing rounds until only one player is left standing! To download a printable rule sheet, read on!
