- Players
- 2
- Time
- 5 min
- You need
- 1 deck
- To win
- Play out all your cards
What you need
One standard 52-card deck, no jokers, and two players facing each other across a table.
The deal
- Deal each player a 15-card face-down draw pile and a five-card hand.
- Put the last 12 cards face down between you as two side piles of six, one on each side.
Playing
- Both players say "Speed!" and flip the top card of a side pile into the middle at the same moment. These start the two center piles.
- Play cards from your hand onto either center pile, one at a time. A card must be one rank higher or lower than the top card: a 7 can go on a 6 or an 8. Suits don't matter.
- Ranks usually wrap around, so a king and an ace can be played on each other.
- Whenever you have fewer than five cards in hand, draw from your draw pile to get back to five.
- No turns: both players play as fast as they can.
When nobody can play
If neither player can make a move, both flip the top card of the side pile nearest them onto a center pile at the same time and play on. If the side piles run out, shuffle the center piles (except the top cards) into new side piles.
Winning
The first player to empty both their hand and draw pile slaps the table and shouts "Speed!" Many families play best of three or five hands.
Speed vs Spit
Spit is a close cousin. Instead of a hand and a draw pile, each player lays out a row of stock piles with the top cards face up, and both play from those onto the center. The aim is to clear your piles first.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards do you get in Speed?
Five in your hand and a draw pile of 15. The other 12 cards make two side piles of six, which feed the two center piles.
Do suits matter in Speed?
No. Only the rank counts: play a card one higher or one lower than a center card.
Can you go from king to ace in Speed?
Most players let the ranks wrap around, so an ace can go on a king or a two, and a king on a queen or an ace. Agree before you start.
What's the difference between Speed and Spit?
In Spit each player lays out several face-up stock piles and races to clear them; in Speed you hold a five-card hand and refill it from one face-down draw pile.
How many people can play Speed?
Two is standard. Three- and four-player versions exist, usually with more center piles.