How to Play Speed With Cards – 9 Steps for Beginners

The speed card game is a card-shedding game that tests a player’s fast reflexes, accuracy, and logical thinking. There is also an element of probability involved in the game. Traditionally, it is a two-player game that is very fast-paced and takes just a few minutes to complete. Hence, it generates a lot of fun and excitement. Every player competes to shed his or her cards first and shouts “Speed.” This beginner’s guide on how to play Speed will help you start this fast-paced game with ease.

Basics of Speed Card Game

The speed card game is played with the Anglo-American card deck. It is suitable for players above 5 years. The objective is to eliminate all the cards in your hand following the unique speed game rules.

Before knowing how to play Speed card game, you need to arrange the following things:

1. Two players (Up to 6 players can join the game.)
2. A standard deck of 52 cards.
3. A tabletop to sit across.
4. Boxes may be used to keep draw/stock piles.
5. Skills Required:Quick Reflex, Memorization, Counting

Game with Two Players: Best 2-Player Card Games of 2025

Card Ranking

Card ranking in the speed game rules is ascending from 2 to K.

Card Ranking: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A.

Aces can be high or low. If there is an ace face-up, you can put a 2 or K on top, regardless of the suit.

How to Play Speed for Beginners

Traditional card game speed is played with two players with a standard deck of 52 cards. It goes through the below steps.

Step 1: Understand the Objective

The primary goal of how to play card game Speed is to be the first player to get rid of all your cards and lay them down on central piles. A player wins when he achieves an empty hand.

Step 2: Setup

Two players sit opposite each other across a wooden table or clean floor. When creating a speed card game setup, ensure sturdy and stable support for uninterrupted gameplay.

Step 3: Dealing

A standard deck of 52 cards is shuffled (more than one deck is used when there are 2+ players) by one of the players, and they deal 20 cards to himself and the other player, all in a down position.

The remaining cards are center cards – divide them into four piles. Place them in the center of the table in one row between you and your opponent. The card placement from left to right shall follow the below speed game rules:

• Deal 5 cards each to the far left and far right, the reserve/replacement piles for the gameplay.
• Deal 1 card each to the middle left and right will be active piles for the gameplay.

Step 4: Dealing Player Cards

Now, each player shall deal five cards from the 20 cards initially dealt to them. These five cards become the actual playing hand, while the remaining 15 cards form the draw pile for the respective player.

You should keep your five cards face down until the game starts. How to play card game Speed? It always has the five active cards in your hand. A player should always keep the five cards in his hand. If you have played a card, draw a new one from your draw pile to maintain your hand size. If your draw pile runs out, continue playing cards in your hand until they’re gone.

Step 5: Game Starts

The actual gameplay of “How to Play card game Speed” starts by flipping over two cards in the middle. Each player simultaneously flips over the single card from one of the two middle piles. Count down together from three to ensure both players flip their cards simultaneously. These flipped cards are now active in play, and you’ll build on them during the game.

Step 6: Play in Sequential Order

Once the middle/center cards are flipped, pick up your five-card hand and look for playable cards. You can play a card if it is one rank higher or lower than the active card on either pile, regardless of suit. For example, if the middle card is a 4, you can play either a 3 or a 5 on top of it. As mentioned, aces act both high and low. You can use them to connect either to a King or a 2.

Players don’t take turns in Speed; instead, both players play as quickly as possible. Getting a hold of the sequence rule is the secret to decoding how to play card game Speed effectively. Always replenish your hand by drawing from your draw pile after playing a card.

Step 7: Lay Down Cards

Speed is all about, well, speed! No turns exist, so you and your opponent can play cards simultaneously. Following the sequence rule to lay down as many cards as possible in a row. The faster you play, the better your chances of winning. Be careful not to reveal your cards to your opponent.

The game stalls if neither player can play any cards from their hand. When this happens, proceed to Step 6 to reset the active piles and resume play.

Step 8: Reset the Active Piles

If both players are stuck and unable to play a card, they flip over a new card from each replacement pile. Do this simultaneously with your opponent to keep the game fair. Place these cards on the current center cards. Creating new active cards to continue gameplay.

If all the reserve piles have been used and players are still stuck, speed card game rules say to shuffle the cards from the middle piles. Keep them as face-down cards, and deal them as new reserve piles. Then, flip over the top card of each pile to restart gameplay. This ensures the game remains dynamic and fair even when players run out of options.

Step 9: Winning the Game

The game ends when one player successfully gets rid of all their cards— both from their hand and draw pile. When you play your final card, slam your hands on the table and shout “Speed!” to declare victory.

Speed is often played as a best-of-three series; the first player to win two games wins the match. However, it is not a hard rule. You can decide with your opponent how many rounds you’d like to play.

In any case, mastering how to play card game Speed requires working on your reflexes, focus, and practice.

Adding Variations to Speed Game Rules

Several variations to speed card game rules are possible to make it more exciting. Once you’ve mastered the basics of how to play card game Speed, try these fun variations.

Play the Same Number Card

The usual practice in the card game speed is to play cards that go up or down in number, e.g., playing a 4 on a 5 or a 6 on a 5. In one variation, known as the Double-speed game, you can also play a card with the same number on a pile. That is, you can play another 5 on a pile with 5 card. It makes the Speed game easier and much faster.

Play Multiple Cards at Once

Playing one card is the norm as per Speed game rules. However, a variation allows you to play multiple cards simultaneously if they are in order. For example, if you have 4, 5, and 6 in your hand, wait for a 3 or 7 to appear on a pile. Now, you can lay down all the three cards in your hand. You can get rid of cards much faster and surprise your opponent.

Jokers as Wild Cards

A single deck of cards is used in the 2-player version of the Speed card game. You can add two jokers before starting and use them as wild cards. That is, you can play them on any pile. Simply keep another card on top after playing a joker, and the play resumes. However, it is important to save your joker to use when you’re stuck in the game and have no more cards to play.

One more extra rule with jokers in the game is that each player gets 16 cards in their draw pile instead of 15. But the role of the Joker card is limited. You can’t play it as the last card to win. Also, it is better to stay away from including jokers when you’re just beginning to know how to play card game Speed.

Add More Players

The traditional speed game rules allow two players. However, you can play the game with 3 or 4 players with the help of an additional deck. How to play a Speed card game with three players? By adding one more pile in the middle and making it three piles. In the case of 4 players, add two more piles in the middle and make it a total of four piles. Having more than two players makes the game more challenging.

More Card Games: Discover the rules of Spades 2-player game to make it easy for you.

Spit Variation

Spit is a popular variation you’ll encounter when learning how to play card game Speed. While Spit is also played with two players, each gets 26 cards here. They use 15 spit cards to make five piles: the first pile has 1 card, the second has 2, and so on, up to 5 cards in the last pile. Each player flips the top card of each pile face-up. The remaining 11 cards form a spit pile, placed face-down.

Both players start by saying, “Spit.” They flip the top card from their spit cards into the center. This creates two Spit Piles. Players can only play face-up cards from their piles. Cards must follow ascending or descending order. The next card in the pile is flipped face-up when a card is played. The game continues quickly.

The first player to clear all their piles wins.

How to Play Speed Card Game with 4 Players

The card game Speed is the same when there are four players, except two standard decks are used, making 104 cards total. Players are also divided into two teams. The two decks of cards are shuffled together, and 20 cards are dealt to each player. Four center piles are kept in the middle. The rest of the gameplay is the same. However, it becomes quicker and requires faster reflexes to catch up when there are four players. Each player has to be even more alert to the opponent’s gameplay while coordinating with their team member.

Winning Strategies for the Card Game Speed

• Observe Opponent’s Moves: Pay close attention to their play style. Notice the cards they target and the piles they focus on.
• Analyze Card Usage: Identify if your opponent is hoarding specific ranks. You can learn the next moves of opponents and plan accordingly.
• Organize Your Hand: Mentally group your cards by rank or potential runs to avoid random scanning. Structured organization enables quicker decision-making.
• React Quickly: Pace is essential in mastering Speed, but a controlled pace is better. Use your organized hand to make fast yet calculated plays.
• Practice is the Secret: The more you play, the better you’ll get at recognizing sequences and reacting quickly.
• Use Bluffing Strategically: A well-timed bluff or misdirection can disrupt your opponent’s rhythm.

Spit Vs. Speed Card Game

Conclusion

As you learn how to play Speed, you can see the game’s social value. The game encourages quick thinking and ample fun moments with friends or family. Try introducing the Speed game to younger players to develop their reflexes. You better use it as a social icebreaker. Without extracting the social value of the game, there is no way to make the maximum out of the Speed game rules.

Are you looking for a family-friendly card game? Well, the Swoop Card Game is the best choice!

FAQs

Can I play the Speed card game solo?

Speed is a two-player game that thrives on fast-paced competition. It requires matching cards in real-time against an opponent. Playing it alone is not feasible unless you want to practice for yourself.

Is playing more than one card at a time in the card game speed possible?

In the standard Speed game, you can only play one card per turn. However, the “Multiple Cards” variation allows for more playing.

What if both players run out of their cards simultaneously in the speed card game?

If both players run out of cards simultaneously in Speed, they must flip a reserve card onto the active piles. The one who flips first continues the game!

What is the difference between Spit and Speed card games?

The difference lies in the stockpile arrangement. Spit has five face-up piles per player, while Speed features a single face-down stockpile and a hand of five cards.

How to Play Speed Card Game with 3 Players?

The speed card game’s dynamic is the same when played with three players. However, two standard decks and three center piles are arranged.

What are the games similar to the card game Speed?

Spit, Snap, and Egyptian Rat Slap are similar to the Speed card game. Sometimes, the names Speed and Spit are used interchangeably to refer to the Speed game.