Spoons Card Game: Rules, Setup and Variations
Spoons is a loud, fast card game for 3 to 8 players that mixes collecting cards with a grab at the end, a little like Musical Chairs at a table. Everyone passes cards around trying to get four of a kind; the moment someone does, they take a spoon, and everyone else scrambles for the rest. There is always one spoon too few.
What You Need
- Spoons: one fewer than the number of players. Plastic or wooden spoons are kinder to hands and tables.
- Cards: four of a kind for each player. With 5 players, use all four aces, kings, queens, jacks and 10s, for example (20 cards).
- A table everyone can reach the middle of.
| Players | Spoons | Cards used |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 12 (3 ranks) |
| 4 | 3 | 16 (4 ranks) |
| 5 | 4 | 20 (5 ranks) |
| 6 | 5 | 24 (6 ranks) |
| 8 | 7 | 32 (8 ranks) |
How to Play
- Set up. Put the spoons in the middle of the table, handles out, within reach of everyone.
- Deal. Shuffle and deal 4 cards to each player. Everyone looks at their own cards.
- Pass. At the same time, every player picks one unwanted card and passes it face down to the player on the left, then picks up the card passed from the right. Keep this going as fast as the slowest player can manage. You always hold exactly 4 cards.
- Grab. When you hold four of a kind, quietly take a spoon. As soon as anyone notices a spoon is gone, they grab one too, whatever their cards.
- Out. The player left without a spoon loses the round. Take away one spoon and one set of four, and play again.
- Winning. The last two players play a final round for one spoon. Whoever takes it wins.
Variations
- Letters instead of elimination: the player without a spoon gets a letter, S, P, O, O, N, S. Spell the whole word and you are out. Nobody sits out early.
- Full deck version: deal from a full 52-card deck, with the dealer drawing from the stock and the last player discarding into a pile. Rounds last longer.
- Sneaky spoon: the first player must take a spoon without being noticed; the fun is spotting it.
- No spoons? Use any small objects, or have players touch their nose: the last to touch it loses (often called Pig or Nose).
The Odds: Lucky Deals
Now and then a player is dealt four of a kind straight away and can grab a spoon before passing a single card. With the small decks used in Spoons this is rare but not unheard of. These are exact and simulated figures for the standard setup of one rank per player:
| Players | Chance you are dealt four of a kind | Chance anyone is |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0.6% | 1.8% |
| 4 | 0.2% | 0.9% |
| 5 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| 6 | 0.06% | 0.3% |
With a full 52-card deck, the chance of being dealt four of a kind in 4 cards is only about 1 in 20,800. In the small-deck version, the chance anyone gets it is highest with 3 players, about one deal in 56.
Tips
- Keep one eye on the spoons. Most rounds are lost by the player who did not notice, not by the one without four of a kind.
- Collect what is coming. If you keep seeing the same rank passed to you, switch to it.
- Set a pace. For mixed ages, pass on a count of "one, two, pass" so younger players can keep up.
- Safety first. Spoons in the middle, handles out, and no diving across the table.
Who Is It Good For?
Spoons works for children from about 7 and for family nights and parties. If your group likes the speed, try Slapjack too. Choose who deals first fairly, and see our kids party games for more ideas.
Where the Game Comes From
Spoons is a traditional family and party card game, also known as Pig in versions without spoons. Its exact origin is not known.
FAQ
How many spoons do you need for Spoons?
One fewer than the number of players: 3 spoons for 4 players, 4 for 5 players, and so on.
How many cards do you use in Spoons?
One set of four of a kind per player: 16 cards for 4 players, 20 cards for 5 players. Some groups use a full deck instead.
Can you take a spoon if you do not have four of a kind?
Only after someone else has taken one. The first spoon must be taken by a player with four of a kind.
How do you win Spoons?
Avoid being the player left without a spoon. The last player still in the game wins.
What is the letters version of Spoons?
Instead of leaving the game, the player without a spoon gets a letter of the word SPOONS. Spell the whole word and you are out.