speed card game (thing)

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.