Speed Card Game

Speed is a game for two players of the shedding family of card games, in which each player tries to get rid of all of his or her cards.

Each player is dealt five cards to form a hand, and each player is dealt 15 cards face down to form a draw pile. If playing with jokers, they are used as wild cards and give each draw pile 16 cards. Two stacks of five cards, placed face down on each side between the players, serve as replacement piles. Finally, two cards are placed face down in the center between the replacement piles.

The round begins when the players each flip one of the face-down cards in the center at the same time. Using cards from their hand, the players must simultaneously place cards one above or one below (or, optionally, of the same value) on top of either of the center stacks without hesitating to shuffle cards or otherwise delay the game (however a player may only play one card at a time). For example, a pile with a six on top may have a five or a seven placed on it, but not another six (unless using the optional rule) , however multiple cards at one time can be placed. Ace is both a high and low card, considered one value above a King as well as one below a Two, so that the cards form a looping sequence. Whenever the number of cards in a player’s hands drops below five, he or she has to draw back up to five cards until that player’s draw pile is depleted. When both players run out of options for play they simultaneously flip a card from the side piles onto the top of the central piles. If these piles become depleted, the central stacks are shuffled individually and are placed face-down as new side piles from which cards can be flipped..

A player wins by running out of cards in his hand and draw pile before the other player. Speed is typically played in a two-wins-out-of-three wins.

Just Have Fun!