Spoons is another member of the
eights group of card games, closely related to
Crates (strongly founded in
humor) but more active. The
Mork and Mindy card game drew strongly from the rules for
Spoons.
- Object
- Like other members of the eights group of games, the object is to get rid of your cards before anyone else. There are a number of rules which if violated always are penalized by a draw of a card.
- Deck
- Two decks of cards, no jokers (104 cards total).
- Players
- 3 - 8 players
- Extras
- (Players - 1) spoons should be placed at the center of the table, within reach of everyone. It is advised to not use any other utensil - especially if it has sharp (fork/knife) or serrated edges (grapefruit spoons).
- Rule Violations
- When a rule is violated, all players who recognize the violation must point at the violator and make a particular noise akin to a buzzer in a game show.
Upon drawing of a card, the violator must say interjection agreed upon at the start of the hand (this can change from hand to hand). Soy! Soy! Soy! is perfectly acceptable and along the right idea. Other examples include "Curses, foiled again!", "Oy, Vey!", "Oh, woe is me!" and "Bummer!". If the violator doesn't say the exact phrase, he or she is subject to this penalty again.
However, there is a statue of limitations on this. If the error is not pointed out before two other players have completed their plays, the rule bender gets away with it. If a person tries to correct them for this violation after the statue of limitations has run out, they are in violation themselves rather than the original violator.
- Deal
- Deal passes to the left. The number of cards dealt depends on the number of players: 3-4 => 7 each; 5-6 => 6 each; 7-8 => 5 each. The remainder of the cards are placed in the center of the table face down. The top card is turned over to begin the discard pile. The effects of the initial card are played as if the card was played by the dealer. The dealer must announce the "name" of the card (see below) as it is turned over, or the dealer is in violation.
- Play
-
- Unless a queen is turned up, the game starts to the dealer's left and proceeds clockwise. Like other eights group games, players must either draw a card or play a card face up on the discard pile that matches either suit or rank. Upon discarding a card, the player must say the "name" of the card or they are in violation. If you have a card you can play, you do not have to play it. However, if you do not play, you must draw (drawing a card by choice is not the same as being in violation, an thus the interjection does not need be said. Anyone who calls a violation upon a card on your own free will is in violation themselves.) If the drawn card can be played, it may. Play continues on to the next person.
When a person gets down to one card, they must announce it by saying "one card!"
or they are in violation. Holding cards to prevent others from seeing how may you have is a rule violation.
When the last card is discarded, the player must announce its name as well, otherwise it is a rule violation and they must draw another. Note: upon drawing another card, the player is once again at one card and must announce it again.
- Names and Powers
- All cards without powers have 'names' according to the rank, regardless of
suit. For example, upon playing a six of spades, one must say "Six".
- King
- Upon the play of a king, the player must select an opponent and say
"Draw two, (player)". The player can then either:
- Say the phrase and draw two cards (or be held in violation in addition to
having to do this), or
- Play a king from their hand on the discard pile immediately. This returns
the attack on the attacker with an additional card. The player should then
say "Draw three, (attacker)"
If the attack is returned, the original attacker has the same options. The
back and forth can continue until one side runs out of Kings.
Play continues from whoever played the final King. Anyone who plays out of
turn is in violation of the rules.
- Queen
- The queen reverses the direction of play. The phrase said with it is "Switchback".
Remember that anyone who plays out of turn is in violation.
- Jack
- When played, the player (and everyone else) must yell "Spoons!" and grab a spoon.
Because of the number of spoons, one person will end up without a spoon. That
player must then say the interjection phrase and draw two cards, or is held in
violation of the rules. If someone grabs more than one spoon, that player is
in violation of the rules rather than the spoon-less ones. If two people grab
the same spoon, the one who has the hold closer to the handle wins.
As this is a friendly game, brute force should never be an issue.
- Ten (10)
- The player of a 10 gets to play again. The name of the card is "Repeat". As
in a normal turn, the player must either draw or play another card, which
may also be a ten. A sneaky way to win is to hold onto several tens and then
play them in one burst. Be sure to remember to call "one card" at the
appropriate time.
If the final card is a ten, that player must play again. Because the player
has no other cards in his or her hand, he or she must draw a card.
- Eight (8)
- Eights are wild. They may change the suit of the discard pile to any suit.
The name of the card is the new suit to be played. Failure to name with the
eight is the same as any other card.
- Deuce (2)
- This begins "the count". When a two is played, the nature of discarding
is changed. The player announces "Two", and the following players must either
play an ace (counting as 'one') or a two, and announce the total of all the two's
and aces played in the count so far. The first player that cannot play a two
or an ace must draw as many cards as have been counted out (after saying the
appropriate phrase).
Example: Adam plays "two". Ben drops an ace onto the pile and announces "three".
Charlie plays a two on the pile and says "five". David cannot play an ace or two
and thus says Soy! Soy! Soy! and draws five cards.
Play then continues with the person following David.
This can become a very vicious process if the players hang onto their twos and
aces just incase of such a contingency. The theoretical maximum that may have
to be drawn is 24 cards, but that is rare case. The average draw is between
two and six.
The "one card" rule is not suspended during "the count", and it must be announced
after play. If anyone goes out of cards during "the count", the game continues
until someone is unable to play a two or an ace and draws their cards. It is
possible that the person who went out is the one who will have to draw the cards.
If after the cards are drawn, one or more players is still out of cards, the first
person who went out of cards is the winner and the other players without cards
must draw a single card (saying the appropriate phrase).
- Ace (1)
- The ace has no special powers, but is here because it has two different ways of
being announced. In regular play, it is called "Ace", while in "the count",
it is called by the total.
- Out of cards
- The player's who's turn it is must take all the cards under the top discard
pile (which is left in place), shuffle them, and place them back on the table.
- Scoring
- Whoever went out scores 0 points for that round. Everyone else scores points for the cards remaining in their hands:
- 30 points: each 10, 8
- 20 points: each K, Q, J
- 10 points: each A, 2
- 5 points: all other cards
The game is typically played to 500 points, though this is not a firm rule.