Drunken SpitPlayers: 2Buzz Factor: 8Simplicity: 2

There was a request to turn the age-old middle-school card game Spit into a drinking game. And so, for your drunken pleasure, here it is:

Two people sit facing each other at a surface, and they divide an entire deck between them (26 cards each). The players are not to look at the cards when they get them. Each player pours one shot of alcohol in a shot glass and keeps it on the table.

Each player puts down five piles of cards to form a setup pile. From left to right, the piles should be as follows: The first pile has one card, the second has two, the third has three, the fourth has four and the fifth has five. Turn over the top card in each pile.

The rest of the cards are held in one hand. Hold these cards for the rest of the game so each player has to use only one hand in the game.

When each player is done setting up, the game begins. At the same time, place the top card from the ones in your hand on the table, forming two spit piles. Move shown cards from your setup pile that is either one higher or one lower than the top card on either spit pile. For example, if one spit pile shows a five, then either player can play a four or six from their setup pile. If a six is played, then the next card must be a five or seven, and so on.

Play the cards as fast you can, building up both spit piles. When you have moved a card from your setup pile to your spit pile, flip over the card under it to keep five cards exposed at all times on your setup pile. When neither player can do anything, flip over another card from the ones in your hand to the spit pile.

Here’s where you get to have some fun. Keep playing with these rules until one player has no cards left in their setup pile. When this happens, both players must put down the cards in their hand, drink the shot and place the glass down on the smaller spit pile. Whoever touches the pile first adds it to the one in their hand. The other play must then take the larger pile and add it to his hand along with the remaining cards in their setup pile.

Shuffle the cards, make a new setup pile and pour another shot. Start the game again with the same rules. Keep playing until there are too few cards to make a complete setup pile, which will then create only one spit pile. When this happens, and someone runs out of cards, be the first to take the shot and slam it on the table to win the game.

Published on December 8, 2005 at 12:00 pm