- Players
- 3–12
- Time
- 15 min
- You need
- 1 deck, spoons for all but one
- To win
- Last player still in
What you need
- A standard 52-card deck
- Three or more players (six to ten is the sweet spot)
- Spoons: one fewer than the number of players, placed in the middle of the table
Setup
Deal four cards to each player. The dealer keeps the rest of the deck face down beside them as the draw pile.
Playing
- The dealer draws a card, keeps it or not, and passes one card face down to the player on their left, so everyone always holds four.
- Each player picks up the card passed to them, keeps what they want, and passes one card on to the left.
- The last player puts their passed card on a discard pile. If the draw pile runs out, the dealer shuffles the discards and keeps going.
- Everyone passes at the same time, as fast as they can. There are no turns.
Grabbing a spoon
When you have four of a kind, take a spoon, quietly or not. As soon as anyone takes a spoon, everyone else can grab one too. The player left without a spoon loses the round.
Losing and winning
The loser of each round takes a letter: S, then P, then O, and so on. Spell SPOONS and you're out. Take away one spoon whenever a player is eliminated. The last player at the table wins.
Variations
- Sneaky spoons: the first player to get four of a kind takes a spoon as quietly as possible to see how long it takes the others to notice.
- Hidden spoons: put the spoons in another room, so players have to run for them.
- Pig: no spoons at all: the first player with four of a kind touches their nose, and the last to copy them loses.
- Quick game: spell PIG instead of SPOONS.
Plastic spoons save a few bruised knuckles. More games for a crowd: Go Fish and Golf, or Bunco on our sister site Dice Game Night.
Frequently asked questions
How many spoons do you need for Spoons?
One fewer than the number of players: five players need four spoons.
How many cards do you deal in Spoons?
Four each. The rest of the deck goes face down next to the dealer.
How many players can play Spoons?
Three to 12 with one deck. It's at its best with six to ten.
Can you take a spoon without four of a kind?
Once anyone has taken a spoon, everyone may grab one. Taking the first spoon without four of a kind usually costs you a letter, so check your hand before you grab.
What happens when you spell SPOONS?
You're out. The table removes a spoon and keeps playing until one player is left.