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How to Play Spoons

spoons gameplay demonstration

Setup

Number of Players

  • 2-8

Supplies Needed

  • Full deck of 52 standard playing cards (no jokers)
  • Spoons – one less than the number of players

Seating / Spoon Setup

Players will sit in a circle around a table with a circle of spoons placed in the middle.

Deal

  • Play high card to determine the deal
  • The dealer will pass out four cards to each player. and place the remaining cards (the stock) next to them

Objective

The objective of Spoons is to get four of a kind in your hand. Once you do, you’re able to grab a spoon from the middle.

Gameplay

Play begins when the dealer draws one card from the stock. They then decide which card to pass to the player on their left since you can only have four cards in your hand at a time. This play continues around the circle while players try and get four of a kind in their hand. Note that the last player discards their card into a separate pile since the dealer is drawing from the stock. If the dealer runs out of stock cards, the game pauses, while they shuffle the discard pile and begin again.

Play begins when the dealer draws one card from the stock. They then decide which card to pass to the player on their left since you can only have four cards in your hand at a time. This play continues around the circle while players try and get four of a kind in their hand. Note that the last player discards their card into a separate pile since the dealer is drawing from the stock. If the dealer runs out of stock cards, the game pauses, while they shuffle the discard pile and begin again.

Endgame

Once a player has four of a kind, they can grab a spoon. As soon they grab one, the rest of the table scrambles to grab theirs. One person will be left out and earn a letter. Once you spell out S-P-O-O-N, you are eliminated from the game. The last player standing wins!

Spoons Variations

Elimination After Each Round

To make the game go quicker, you can eliminate the spoonless player after each round and then remove one spoon until there is one player left standing. It gets intense when it comes down to the final two!

About the Author: Brian Oddo

I'm the founder of The Game Farm. I've been playing games ever since I could match block shapes together. From cards to sports, I love it all. Find me at your local brewery playing Euchre or on Wednesday during kickball. I created The Game Farm to help people keep life fun and competitive.

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