Spit
Officially Spit (Speed Variant / Slam / Split)
2-PLAYER real-time card game — variant of SPEED but with slightly different setup + widespread British naming ('SPIT'). Both players simultaneously flip cards to CENTRAL PILES trying to EMPTY their own STOCK first. The 'SPIT!' YELL when both stuck triggers new card flip; when one player empties, they slap the smaller pile to WIN + take the smaller pile for next round. First to CLEAR ALL PILES wins. UK schoolyard staple.
Quick facts
Category
Card Games
Type
Individual
Players
2–2
Duration
~5 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Estimated origin
Traditional UK schoolyard game mid-20th c.; documented Hoyle's Rules 1970s+; extremely popular UK + Commonwealth casual card play; some variants incorporated into commercial games.
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
CLEAR all cards from your side FIRST (multi-round; loser accumulates cards over rounds).
Rules
Basic rules
SETUP: Deal 26 cards to each player; each player arranges 4-5 face-up cards + face-down piles in 'CASCADES' (like Klondike) + a personal STOCK
Signature cascade + stock setup.
START: BOTH players simultaneously YELL 'SPIT!' + flip top card of respective SPIT PILE into center (creates 2 CENTRAL PILES)
Signature 'Spit!' simultaneous flip start.
PLAY: NO TURNS — both players simultaneously play cards from their PLAY ROW onto CENTRAL PILES; card must be RANK-ADJACENT (±1) to top of pile
Signature no-turn real-time play.
REPLENISH: When PLAY ROW gap forms, DRAW from CASCADES to refill
Signature cascade-refill.
STUCK: If neither can play → both yell 'SPIT!' + flip a new central card from their SPIT piles + resume
Signature stuck → spit rule.
ROUND END: First player to EMPTY their PLAY ROW + CASCADES + STOCK slaps the smaller central pile (WINS the round)
Signature 'slap the smaller pile' round-end.
NEXT ROUND: LOSER TAKES BOTH central piles + their remaining cards to shuffle for next round; deal again
Signature loser-takes-piles setup for next round.
GAME WIN: First to CLEAR ALL cards entirely (loser can no longer deal cards) wins the GAME
Signature clear-all-cards game-win.
Scoring
Rounds don't formally score; loser accumulates cards until unable to deal.
Win condition · Player who forces opponent to run out of cards wins the game.
Equipment
STANDARD 52-CARD DECK (no jokers)
Signature standard deck.
TABLE + 2 CHAIRS (face-to-face)
Standard playing space.
Terminology
- Spit!
- Signature yell — start round / restart from stuck.
- Cascade
- Face-up piles built like Klondike layout.
- Slap the pile
- Slap the smaller central pile to claim round-win.
- Play row
- Face-up cards available for immediate play.
- Stock
- Personal face-down draw pile.
Major competitions
No formal championships; UK + Commonwealth schoolyard + camp casual games
n/a · UK + Commonwealth · since 1950
Where it is played
Governing bodies
No formal governing body — UK folk card game
Founded 1950 · United Kingdom
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- No professional players; UK schoolyard casual game
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Speed (Spit) card game— Wikipedia
- Hoyle's Rules of Games— Hoyle's Rules of Games