When I think of the card game SPOONS, I always picture a group sitting around the cottage kitchen table, late at night with a deck of cards and nothing to do. But then there’s a spoon on the table and someone grabs it from someone and then somehow they get more spoons—but not enough—and pass cards and what they invent is the much loved card game of SPOONS.
Of course, it could be anyone who came up with this game. But I like to think we have late night cottage boredom to thank. Who ever thought this one up loved crazy games like we do! Crazy Fish, Fish Bowl and Stress card game just to name a few!
Whoever invented it was indeed onto something. Many people have played—and have many different rules and ways to play. In this post, we will go over the SPOON rules as well as some SPOONS variations.
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Supplies for Card Game Spoons
You will need a deck of standard playing cards with the jokers removed. You will also need a spoon for every player, minus one. We like to play with plastic spoons (you will see why in a bit). A score sheet is also needed.
This game can be a little hard on the cards due to its fast pace and crazy action. If you need some new cards, check out the selection here; Canadians here. We think the Crazy Chicken Lady ones are fun looking!
Set Up
First, separate the deck into number groups; all the 2s together, all the 5s together and so on. You will need one set per player plus one set. So if you are playing a four player game you will need 5 sets such as the aces, threes, sixes, eights, and jacks. It doesn’t matter what sets you use. We like to make the sets as different looking as possible.
Next, set aside all the unused sets and shuffle the rest.
Second, set out the spoons in the middle of the playing area where all players can reach them.
Object of Card Game Spoons
The object of SPOONS is to not be the player who doesn’t get a spoon and there fore get a letter.
Playing SPOONS
The dealer passes out four cards to all players. This will leave four cards left which will be placed face down on the table beside the dealer. When everyone is ready, the dealer will announce “Spoons up,” and players can start passing cards.
Players will look at their hands and decide what cards to keep and what card to pass. Once she has made up her mind, she takes the card that she doesn’t want and passes it to the player on her left.
The player on her right will pass her a card. She picks up the card, looks at it and decides if she wants to keep it or pass it.
The dealer will at first take one card off the pile beside her instead of taking a card that a player passes. When the pile is gone, she will then start taking the cards passed to her.
A player can not have more than four cards in their hands at any time. You must pass before picking up.
The goal is to get four cards that match. Once a player has four cards that match, she takes a spoon from the middle of the table and keeps it in her hand.
Now, all the other players must race to get a spoon. There will be one player who misses out on a spoon. This player is the loser of the round and receives an S under his name.
Round Two
After the commotion is over, the spoons are placed back in the middle of the table. The dealer is the player who is one the original dealer’s left. This player then shuffles the cards and deals four cards to everyone. When he is ready, he will announce “Spoons up” and the process starts over again.
Scoring
Underneath every player’s name will be where the letters will be added. The first time you don’t get a spoon you get the letter S. The second time, you get a letter P. This continues through the letter of SPOONS.
Winning SPOONS
Instead of there being one winner, there is one loser. This is the first person to receive all the letters in SPOONS.
Card Game SPOONS Variations
Elimination Style
In this variation of the card game SPOONS, the player who doesn’t get a spoon is out of the game. When this happens, a spoon and a set of four cards are taken out of the game.
When it comes down to two players, the cards are shuffled and dealt into two piles. One spoon is place between them. Next, the players flip over one card each at the same time. If you don’t match, they flip over another one. On the other hand, if they do match, players race to be the first player to grab the spoon. This player is the winner.
This makes for a much faster game. It would make a great style for a large group.
Long Style Elimination
This is played the usual way with players collecting letters as they lose. When a player has received all the letters of SPOONS, he is out. A spoon is removed and the game continues. The game is won in the same way as the Elimination style.
Pick Up Penalty
In this SPOONS variation, players are not allowed to pick up their cards until the dealer does. If a player is caught doing this, she will get a letter added to her name.
Pig
Played the same but with no spoons. Instead, when a player gets four of a kind, he places a finger on the tip of his nose and waits for the others to notice. The last player to place a finger on their nose is the loser.
Pig can also be played the SPOONS way but instead collect the letters P-I-G.
Tongue
Played the same, but instead of grabbing a spoon a player, you guessed it, sticks out her tongue.
Keep Passing
In this variation, the player who grabbed the first spoon can continue to pass cards, making it harder for the other players to notice.
Spoon Grab Penalty
This rule says that if a player is the first to grab a spoon without having a matching set of cards, then he gets a letter or is out of the game.
It’s all in the Spoons
This classic game will make even the quietest family member turn into a crazed yelling machine. But you will laugh and have fond memories of fighting over something so simple as a plastic spoon.
Our family gets so competitive and spirited that other’s who have played with us have a separate name for our style of playing—the one where if two people grab the same spoon at the same time it’s she who can hang on the longest. (I told you we prefer to use plastic spoons; the metal ones cause too many injuries.)
Weather you play in a civilized way or a no hold ‘ems way, Spoons is sure to be a family favorite. If you would like the printable rules for Spoons, lick here.
You can get a Spoons game here (Canadians can get theirs here) complete with colorful plastic spoons or even a Giant Spoons version. (Canadian Giant Spoons version.) And if that wasn’t fun enough they have a Shark themed game with a twist.
For more card games that are our family favorites see Jok-R-ummy, Blind Poker and Cheat among others in the card section.
You can find even more fun in our dice games and game reviews.
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