Spoons rules
Spoons is a fast card game for a group. Everyone passes cards to the left at the same time, trying to collect four of a kind. The middle of the table holds 1 spoon fewer than there are players. When someone takes a spoon, everyone else grabs one too, and the player left without a spoon takes a letter.
- Players
- 3 to 12 with one deck. More with 2 decks.
- You need
- A standard 52-card deck and 1 spoon fewer than the number of players
- Deal
- 4 cards each. The rest of the deck sits face down beside the dealer.
- Goal
- Collect four of a kind, or grab a spoon fast once someone else does
- Game ends
- A player who spells SPOON is out. The last player left wins.
- Playing time
- About 30 minutes, longer with a big group
Quick start
- Put spoons in the middle, 1 fewer than the number of players. Deal 4 cards to each player and put the rest of the deck face down beside the dealer.
- Everyone tries to collect four of a kind, such as four 7s. The dealer takes the top card of the deck and passes 1 card face down to the left.
- Each player picks up the card passed to them and passes 1 card to their left. Everyone plays at once, as fast as they can. The player on the dealer’s right discards instead.
- When you hold four of a kind, take a spoon. As soon as one spoon is gone, everyone else grabs one, four of a kind or not.
- The player left without a spoon takes the next letter of SPOON. A player who spells the whole word is out, and 1 spoon comes out of the middle.
- Deal a new round and keep playing until only 1 player is left. That player wins.
Rule sheet and score sheet
Print the whole game on one page, and a score sheet made for Spoons. Both are free PDFs for Letter paper.
Setup
3 to 12 players with one deck. A bigger group can shuffle 2 decks together.
You need: A standard 52-card deck with the jokers taken out, plus spoons.
| In the set | Count |
|---|---|
| Number cards, 2 through 10 | 36 |
| Jacks | 4 |
| Queens | 4 |
| Kings | 4 |
| Aces | 4 |
| Total | 52 |
- You also need spoons: 1 fewer than the number of players. With 6 players, use 5 spoons.
- Only the rank of a card matters. Four of a kind is all 4 cards of one rank, such as the four jacks.
- Use a standard 52-card deck with the jokers taken out. With more than 12 players, shuffle 2 decks together.
- Put the spoons in a small circle in the middle of the table, where everyone can reach them. Use 1 spoon fewer than the number of players.
- Choose a dealer. The dealer shuffles and deals 4 cards to each player.
- The dealer puts the rest of the deck face down on their right. This is the deck the dealer draws from.
| Players | Each player gets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 12 | 4 cards | One deck. The rest of the deck sits face down on the dealer’s right. |
| 13 or more | 4 cards | Shuffle 2 decks together. The rest sits face down on the dealer’s right. |
Each player’s hand
4 cards
The deck, on the dealer’s right
Only the dealer draws from it
How to play
There are no turns. Everyone passes cards at the same time, as fast as they can, until someone has four of a kind. Then the grab for the spoons ends the round.
-
The dealer starts the cards moving
The dealer takes the top card of the deck, so they hold 5 cards. They pass 1 card they do not want face down to the player on their left. The dealer keeps doing this, one card at a time, as fast as they like.
- The dealer does not wait for anyone. The other players can only go as fast as the cards reach them.
-
Everyone passes to the left
Each player picks up the card passed to them and passes 1 card face down to their left. Keep 4 cards in your hand. The player on the dealer’s right puts their card face down on a discard pile instead of passing it.
- Pick up and pass one card at a time. You may pass on the card you just picked up.
- Some groups pass first and then pick up, so nobody ever holds more than 4 cards. The dealer then passes a card before drawing one.
-
If the deck runs out
When the dealer has no cards left to draw, everyone pauses. Shuffle the discard pile and give it to the dealer as the new deck. Then keep going.
-
Take a spoon with four of a kind
Four of a kind is all 4 cards of one rank, such as four 9s. As soon as you hold four of a kind, take a spoon from the middle. You do not have to announce it, so you can take it quietly.
- Nobody may take a spoon before a player has four of a kind. The main rules we checked set no penalty for it. One source we checked says a player who grabs too soon may be put out. See the rule questions below.
- Watch the spoons as well as your cards. A quiet player can take the first spoon before anyone notices.
-
Everyone grabs a spoon
Once the first spoon is taken, every other player may grab one, even without four of a kind. There is 1 spoon fewer than players, so 1 player is left without a spoon. That player loses the round.
-
The loser takes a letter
The loser of the round takes the next letter of the word SPOON: S the first time, then P, O, O and N. A player who spells all of SPOON is out of the game. Each time a player is out, take 1 spoon away.
- Taking a spoon away keeps the count at 1 fewer spoon than the players still in the game.
- Some groups spell SPOONS, with 6 letters, so each player can lose one more round.
-
Deal again until 1 player is left
Collect all the cards, shuffle and deal a new round to the players still in the game. Keep playing rounds until only 1 player is left. That player wins.
- The player who got four of a kind usually deals the next round.
- When 2 players are left, 1 spoon sits in the middle. The first player to get four of a kind takes it, and the other takes a letter.
Example: four of a kind ends a round
Ana, Ben, Cal and Dee are playing, so 3 spoons sit in the middle. Ana is dealing. Cal holds three queens and the 5 of clubs. Ben passes him the queen of hearts. Cal picks it up, passes the 5 of clubs to Dee and quietly takes a spoon. Ana sees the spoon go and grabs one. Ben grabs the last one. Dee is still sorting her cards, so she is left without a spoon and takes the letter S.
Cal’s hand
Three queens
Ben passes to Cal
The fourth queen
Cal passes to Dee
Cal’s hand now
Four of a kind. Cal takes a spoon.
Scoring
Spoons has no points. Each round you lose gives you one more letter of the word SPOON.
| Rounds lost | New letter | Your letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | S | S |
| 2 | P | S-P |
| 3 | O | S-P-O |
| 4 | O | S-P-O-O |
| 5 | N | S-P-O-O-N. You are out. |
A player who spells SPOON is out. The last player left in the game wins.
Write each player’s letters on paper or on the score sheet, and add a letter each time someone is left without a spoon.
A worked example: letters after 6 rounds
Ana, Ben, Cal and Dee play 6 rounds with 3 spoons. Round 1 is the example above, where Dee took an S. After round 6, Cal has S-P-O and is closest to being out. Ana, Ben and Dee have an S each. Nobody has spelled SPOON yet, so all 3 spoons stay in the middle.
| What happened | Goes to | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1: Dee is left without a spoon | Dee | 1 |
| Round 2: Ben is left without a spoon | Ben | 1 |
| Round 3: Cal is left without a spoon | Cal | 1 |
| Round 4: Ana is left without a spoon | Ana | 1 |
| Round 5: Cal is left without a spoon | Cal | 1 |
| Round 6: Cal is left without a spoon | Cal | 1 |
| Ana | 1 | |
| Ben | 1 | |
| Cal | 3 | |
| Dee | 1 |
Scorekeeper
Tap the player left without a spoon to give them the next letter of SPOON. A player who spells the whole word is out, and the game ends when only 1 player is left. It works in this browser, keeps the game if the page reloads, and needs no account.
Other ways to play
Spoons for a big group
One deck is enough for up to 12 players. With more, shuffle 2 decks together and play the usual way. Deal 4 cards each, use 1 spoon fewer than the number of players, and put the rest of the cards beside the dealer.
House rules and other versions
- SPOONS with 6 letters
- Spell the whole name of the game, S-P-O-O-N-S. A player is out after 6 lost rounds instead of 5, so the game runs longer.
- Out after one loss
- The player left without a spoon is out at once, with no letters. Take 1 spoon away every round. Some groups give 3 lives instead, so a player is out after losing 3 rounds.
- Two winners
- Stop when 2 players are left. They share the win.
- Pig: touch your nose
- Play with no spoons. When you have four of a kind, quietly put a finger on the end of your nose and keep it there. Once anyone does, everyone else does the same, four of a kind or not. The last player to touch their nose loses the round and takes a letter of P-I-G. Some groups stick out their tongues instead.
- Donkey
- Use tokens in place of spoons, 1 fewer than the players. As in No deck in the middle, use one set of 4 cards for each player and deal 4 each. One version deals 5 each. The first player with four of a kind takes a token, quietly or calling “Donkey”, and everyone grabs one. The loser takes a letter of D-O-N-K-E-Y.
- 5 cards each
- Deal 5 cards to each player instead of 4. You still need only four of a kind to take a spoon.
- 3 cards each
- Deal 3 cards to each player. Three of a kind, such as three 8s, is enough to take a spoon.
- No deck in the middle
- Use only one set of 4 cards for each player, such as the aces, kings, queens and jacks for 4 players, and deal them all. Everyone passes 1 card left at the same time, then picks up the card from the right. When a player is out, take out one set of 4 cards along with a spoon.
- Hidden spoons
- Put the spoons somewhere awkward nearby instead of in the middle of the table.
Rule questions
How many spoons do you need for Spoons?
1 fewer than the number of players. With 5 players, use 4 spoons. Each time a player is out of the game, take 1 spoon away, so there is always 1 fewer spoon than players still in.
How many cards do you deal in Spoons?
4 cards to each player. The rest of the deck sits face down beside the dealer, who draws from it one card at a time and passes cards on.
Is it SPOON or SPOONS?
SPOON, with 5 letters, under the main rules on this page. A player is out after losing 5 rounds. Other rules spell SPOONS, which gives each player one more round before they are out. Agree on the word before you start.
Do you need four of a kind to take a spoon?
Only to take the first one. Once a spoon is gone from the middle, every other player may grab one whether they have four of a kind or not.
What if someone takes a spoon before anyone has four of a kind?
That breaks the rule, because only a player with four of a kind may take the first spoon. The main rules we checked set no penalty. One source says the player who grabbed too soon may be put out of the game. Agree before you play. A milder fix is that the player takes the letter for that round, and the cards are dealt again.
Do you have to say something when you take a spoon?
No. The rules we checked do not make you announce it, so you may take the first spoon quietly. Keep an eye on the spoons, because one can go before anyone notices. In one form of Donkey, the player calls out “Donkey” as they take a token.
What if two players grab the same spoon?
The rule sources we checked do not say. Settle it before you play. One simple way is that the player who touched it first keeps it. If nobody can tell, deal the round again with no letter given.
What happens when the deck runs out in Spoons?
Everyone pauses. Shuffle the discard pile, give it to the dealer as the new deck and keep going.
Can you hold more than 4 cards?
Only for a moment. You pick up 1 card and then pass 1 card, so you go back to 4. Some groups pass first and pick up after, so nobody ever holds more than 4. Either way, pass one card at a time.
How many people can play Spoons?
At least 3. One deck works for up to 12 players. For a bigger group, shuffle 2 decks together.
Who deals the next round?
Usually the player who got four of a kind. Any way your group agrees on is fine.
Words used in Spoons
- Four of a kind
- All 4 cards of one rank, such as the four 9s. It is what you collect to take the first spoon.
- Rank
- The number or letter on a card: ace, 2 through 10, jack, queen or king. Suits do not matter in Spoons.
- Deck
- The cards left after the deal. They sit face down beside the dealer, and only the dealer draws from them. Card players also call it the stock.
- Discard pile
- The face-down pile where the player on the dealer’s right puts the cards they pass on. It becomes the new deck when the deck runs out.
- Letter
- What you take each time you lose a round. Five letters spell SPOON and put you out.
- Pig
- A related game in which players touch their noses instead of grabbing spoons.
What you need
- A standard deck of playing cardsOne 52-card deck is enough for up to 12 players. Use a second deck for a bigger group.Find it on Amazon (A standard deck of playing cards, opens in a new tab)
- SpoonsKitchen spoons work. Plastic or wooden spoons are kinder to fingers and the table when the grab gets rough.Find it on Amazon (Spoons, opens in a new tab)
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Checked against
These rules are written in our own words from Bicycle Cards and checked against Pagat. Sources last checked on October 12, 2026.
- First source: Bicycle Cards, Spoons. One deck, 1 spoon fewer than players, the 4-card deal, the dealer drawing to 5 and passing, passing to the left, the last player’s discard pile, reshuffling it, the grab, the letters S-P-O-O-N and the last player winning.
- Second source: Pagat, Pig, Spoons. The deck on the dealer’s right, passing one card at a time, others grabbing without four of a kind, removing a spoon when a player is out, the winner dealing next, more than one deck above 12 players, Pig and most of the variants.
Other sources we used (1)
- Wikipedia, Pig (card game). The word S-P-O-O-N-S, the tongue version, Donkey’s call, the 5-card deal, hidden spoons, two winners and watching the spoon count.
Where the sources differ (10)
| Topic | Bicycle Cards | Pagat | This page |
|---|---|---|---|
| The word spelled | S-P-O-O-N, 5 letters. | The Spoons section gives no word. The loser is out at once or after 3 losses. Pig spells P-I-G. | SPOON, following Bicycle. Wikipedia spells S-P-O-O-N-S, which is a variant and in the rule questions, and out after 1 loss is a variant too. |
| Holding a fifth card | The dealer draws to 5 cards, then passes 1. | Nobody may hold more than 4 cards. You pass before you pick up. | Pick up, then pass, following Bicycle. Pagat’s way is in the step notes and the rule questions. |
| Where the deck goes | Not stated. | On the dealer’s right. | Follows Pagat. |
| When the deck runs out | Pause and reshuffle the discard pile. | The discard pile becomes the new deck. Shuffling is not mentioned. | Shuffle it, following Bicycle. |
| Taking spoons away | Not stated. | Take 1 spoon away each time a player is out. | Follows Pagat. Wikipedia’s Donkey also keeps 1 fewer token than the players still in. |
| Number of players and decks | 3, 4 or 5 and more, with one deck. | Up to 13 on one deck. With a stock, more than one deck above 12 players. | 3 to 12 with one deck, and 2 decks for more. |
| Who deals next | Not stated. | Usually the player who won the hand. | Follows Pagat, in the step notes. |
| A quiet grab | Not stated. | Not stated for Spoons. In Pig the nose is touched quietly, and in Donkey a token is taken quietly. | No need to announce it. Wikipedia’s Donkey calls out, which is part of the Donkey variant. |
| A spoon taken too early | Not stated. Others may grab once the player with four of a kind takes a spoon. | Not stated. | Says the main rules set no penalty, gives Wikipedia’s elimination as one way, and suggests a milder one of our own. |
| The end of the game | The last player standing wins. | Not stated for Spoons. In Pig the last 2 players share the win. | The last player wins, following Bicycle and Wikipedia. Two winners is a variant. |
What on this page is our own
- The playing time is our estimate.
- The example round and the 6-round letters example are our own.
- The undealt deck lying face down is ordinary practice. Neither main source says so.
- Bicycle describes only the dealer’s draw and pass. That the other players also pick up first and then pass is our reading.
- Pagat says to use more than one deck above 12 players. Wikipedia, for Pig, says two decks may be used for more than 13. The page uses 2 decks from 13 players, following Pagat’s limit.
- The milder penalty for a spoon taken too early, a letter and a new deal, and the fix for two players grabbing the same spoon are our suggestions. No source covers the second.
- That you may pass on the card you just picked up, and that you may take the first spoon quietly, are our readings. No source makes you announce a grab.
- The 5 spoons for 6 players and the 4 spoons for 5 players are our arithmetic from the 1-fewer rule. So are the counts in the letters table and the 1 spoon left when 2 players remain.
- The notes under What you need describe products and are not rules.
- The pieces pictured at the top of the page are our own example.
Spotted a mistake? Email [email protected] and we'll check it against the sources.