- Player Count: 2
- Required Materials: Deck of cards
- Objective: Be the first person to play all the cards from your personal stock piles and card pack to the "spit piles" in the middle of the table.
Spit Setup
Shuffle and deal the cards evenly to both players. Take turns randomly picking a card from the deck, and whoever picks the lowest value becomes the dealer. Shuffle the cards and deal them out evenly to both players into face-down piles. Once split, each player will have 26 cards.
Place 15 cards into 5 stock piles in front of you. Deal a row of 5 cards from the top of your deck face-down in front of you to start your stock piles. Stack the next cards on top so that the piles have 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 cards from left to right. Flip over the top card on each of your stock piles. Leave enough space to play cards in between you and your opponent’s stock piles for later in the game. Hold your remaining 11 cards in a face-down pile in your non-dominant hand throughout the rest of the game. This pile is known as the “pack.”
Playing the Game
Start the game by playing the top spit card from your pack. When both players are ready, count down from 3 and say the word “Spit!” At the same time, flip over the top card of your pack and place it face-up in the space between the stock piles. The 2 cards played form the “spit piles.” There are no turns when you play Spit, so you and your opponent will play at the same time as soon as the spit piles are formed.
Play a card that’s next in sequence from your stock pile to a spit pile. If you have a face-up card in one of your stock piles that’s one value higher or lower than the top card of a spit pile, use one hand to move it as fast as you can. The suits of the cards don’t matter and do not have to match. Aces can be played as high value after a King or as a low value after a 2. If the top card is face-down on one of your stock piles, flip it over and reveal it right away. If both players try to play a card to the same spit pile, whoever places their card first gets to keep it there. The other player must put their card back on a stock pile.
Move a card to an empty stock pile to reveal the card beneath it. If you play all the cards from one stock pile, you may move a card from a different stock pile into the open space. After that, flip over the next face-down card in the pile. You may only ever have 5 stock piles during the game. Variation: You may move a card to a different stock pile if the face-up card has the same value. This lets you reach cards further down in the stock pile so they’re free to use.
Deal out a new spit card whenever both players are stuck. If neither player can move cards to a spit pile or one of their stock piles, then count down from 3 and say “Spit” at the same time. Then, flip and play the top card of your pack on top of one of the spit piles. If you run out of moves but your opponent can still play cards, you must wait for them to finish and get stuck too. Keep your eye out because they may play a card that lets you make another move.
Ending a Round of Spit
End the round when someone plays their last stock card. Keep playing cards from your stock pile at the same time as the other person. If either person moves the last card from their stock piles to a spit pile, then they’re the winner of the round.
Take turns picking a spit pile to add to your pack. The person who won the round picks one of the spit piles in the middle of the table. The other player then takes whatever pile is left over. Then, both players shuffle the pile they took into the cards left in their pack. Strategy tip: If you have the first pick, try to choose the spit pile that has the fewest cards so you’re closer to winning. While you’re not allowed to count the cards in the pile, try to judge which one has fewer.
Deal out new stock piles to start the next round. Deal out 5 new stock piles so they contain 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 cards going from left to right. After you have your stock piles set again, count down from 3, flip over the top card of your pack, and start a new round.
Winning Spit
Win the game if you play all the cards from your stock piles and pack. Continue playing rounds and taking spit piles. If you ever have fewer than 15 cards in your pack, deal out as many cards into stock piles as you’re able to. If you play all your cards from your stock piles, then you win the game! Because you won’t have a pack, there will only be 1 spit pile during the round. If players get stuck, then your opponent places the top card of their pack on the spit pile.
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