speed card game

The game of speed, also called spit, is a fun card game for two players that I learned in middle school. As with any card game not appearing in Hoyle's rulebooks, the rules vary by region. Here are the rules I learned in Fort Wayne, Indiana:

Initial layout of cards

         ____
        |    |
        | 20 |
        |    |
        |____|
        |____|

 ____                ____
|    |              |    |
|  6 |    (leave    |  6 |
|    | enough space |    |
|____|   for two    |____|
|____|    piles)    |____|

             ____
            |    |
            | 20 |
            |    |
            |____|
            |____|

• When neither player can play (such as at game start), each player flips a card from one side pile to the center.
• A valid play consists of placing one card from your hand on top of a pile whose top card is one higher or lower than the card from the hand. An ace can be counted as low or high; K-A-2 and 2-A-K plays are legal.
• There is no concept of turn in the game, except perhaps for dealer rights. If Alice's play makes Bob's play on the same pile invalid, Bob simply places the card back into his hand.
• If a player holds fewer than five cards, the player may draw from eir pile.
• The first player with an empty hand and empty pile wins.

For another variation on the rules, see speed by hobyrne.

Equipment:
The game is played with four types of card in the following quantities: the standard cards (4 sets of 9, see below), Speedway cards (6), Lightning cards (4) and the Extra turn card (just the 1).

The standard cards are divided into four sets: Aeroplane (includes helicopters, though), ship, train and motor. Each of these sets contains 9 numbered cards (excluding motor, which only reaches 7), and has an illustration of a certain 'plane, boat, or whatever (For example: the 1 Aeroplane card depicts the 'plane used by the Wright Brothers, whereas 4 Motor shows Stirling Moss driving a Cooper. The Speedway cards show famous Speedway racers of the time (the game was released around the 1960's, to my knowledge), and are given two numbers: 1/9, 7/2, 9/3, 9/4, 8/5 and 3/6. The four lightning cards are identical, and all show a lightning flash and the number 15, while the Extra turn card depicts an image to represent each set (barring lightning), and carries the number 20.

Gameplay
7 cards are dealt out to each person playing. The remaining cards are placed, face-down, where everyone can reach them. Play commences with the player to the left of the dealer, who can play any card in their hand. The next player, however, can only play a card of the same set, or one with the same number. (Speedway cards count as either of the numbers they carry, or as the set Speedway).
If a player cannot do this (or use a special card, see below), they must take a card from the deck left over from the dealing, and play passes to the next player.

The Special Cards!

1. The Lightning Card:This card allows the player to change the set currently in use. For example, one could play a lightning card to switch from motor to ship. Once played, play passes to the next player; therefore the set could quite easily be changed back.
   
2. The Extra Turn Card:This card may be played as well asany other card, unlike the Lightning card. For the player who uses it, it gets another card out of their hand (see below on the importance of this), but for the next player, it is a godsend. They are allowed to play any card they like from their hand, regardless of what the player previous used.

Winning the game
The first player to be left with no cards in their hand is the winner of the round. The second, third, fourth places (etc.) are decided by counting the numbers on the cards each player has in their hand at the end of the game (this is why getting rid of that extra turn card is a good idea). Speedway cards count as both the numbers on the card added together, making them a card one would want to play as soon as possible.
Whoever has the lowest 'score' takes the second place, and so on and so forth. (The winner, of course, has 0 points)