Deadly Spades

Contributed by Sonja Ritter (allthat@ItsGoodToBeMe.Com)

2-4 players. Use a regular deck of 52 cards. Shuffle cards 7 times, then deal out all cards. Some players may have more, this will happen. When all cards are handed out, have the players shuffle their piles 4 times. Do not look at cards. Player on dealer's left begins play by placing their card face up. If it is a spade, previous player takes it and puts it face down under their pile. If not play continues clockwise until someone turns up a spade, and the previous player must take the whole pile of played cards.

In a 2 player game the player who lays down the spade gives the pile to the other player. Play continues until a player is out of cards (in a 2 player game.) In a 3-4 player game, the left over players battle it out until all but one person is out.

Object - To lose all cards

Jokers may be used. If a joker is played, the person who played it decides who gets the pile. They are only used in 3-4 player games. 3 players, you use 1 joker, 4 players, you use 2 jokers.

If an ace of spades is turned up, the next player must turn up 4 more cards. If another spade is turned up, person who laid down next spade takes the pile. A king is worth 3 cards, Queens are worth 2 and Jacks are worth 1.

Tens are a "reverse direction" card. These are obsolete in a 2 player game.

4 player game example: If player 1 plays a King of Spades, player 2 must play 3 cards. If the first card is not a spade, then player 3 then plays a card. If a spade, player 2 takes pile. If player 3 plays 10 of spades, play is reversed back to player 2. Player 2 then plays a card. If not a spade, then player 1 plays a card. If a spade, player 2 takes pile. If player 1 plays a 7 of spades, player 1 takes whole pile, but if player 1 plays a Queen of Spades, play continues to player 4, then 3, then 2 and so on, unless a 10 of spades is played. If any player plays a card in spades other than A,K,Q,J,and 10, that player takes the whole pile. That is how the "round-about" game play ends. This could go around for a while.

Variations:

1. You can play this with any of the suits, works great.
2. You may look at your cards, and use that against the other player(s). (You can rearange your cards in any order, so as to catch your opponent.)
3. If you want to play with more than 4, use 2 decks.

It may not be a very skillful game, but if you want a great laugh, it works. And also if you want an enemy. Hehe. Only Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 of SPADES are killer cards, just like in Egyptian Ratscrew.