How to play Spoons

A standard deck, and spoons (or any small objects) numbering one fewer than the players. With fewer than 13 players, many tables use only as many complete four-of-a-kinds as there are players, so every set can be found.

Avoid being the player without a spoon. Each time you miss out you take a letter; the last player still in the game wins.

1. 1Put the spoons in the middle of the table, within reach of everyone.
2. 2Deal four cards to each player. The dealer keeps the rest of the deck face down as a draw pile.

1. 1The dealer takes the top card of the draw pile and either keeps it, passing one card from their hand face down to the left, or passes the new card straight on.
2. 2Every player does the same with the card that arrives from the right: keep it and pass another, or pass it along. Everyone always ends with four cards.
3. 3There are no turns—pass as fast as you can. The last player puts their discard on a face-down pile; when the draw pile runs out, the dealer turns that pile over and keeps going.
4. 4As soon as you hold four cards of the same rank, quietly take a spoon. Once one spoon has gone, anyone may grab one, whether or not they have a set.

• The player who ends up without a spoon loses the round and takes a letter, spelling S-P-O-O-N (or P-I-G for the shorter game).
• Put the spoons back, remove one spoon if a player has dropped out, and deal again.
• Players drop out when they have spelled the whole word. The last player left wins.

• Pig: instead of spoons, the player with four of a kind quietly touches their nose, and the last player to copy them loses.
• Tongue or Donkey: the same idea with sticking out your tongue or another agreed signal.
• Some groups put the spoons in another room so players have to run for them; keep this one for a safe space.

• Watch the spoons and the other players, not only your cards—many rounds are lost by someone who did not notice the first spoon move.
• Take your spoon calmly. A quiet grab often goes unnoticed for a few extra passes.