Alexandra Ramirez
Are you searching for a fun way to spend time with friends and family? Maybe board games are leaving you feeling…well…a little bored. Now there’s an alternative way to spend time with your loved ones. It’s not a board game, and it’s not a traditional card game. It’s called Spoons, and anyone of any age can play. The number of players can vary, though the average range is usually 3-6. However, you can also play with 13 or more. To begin, follow the guide below.
How to Get Started
Before you begin playing the game, you will need a couple of items:
- You’ll need a standard Anglo-American deck of cards. (Be sure to shuffle the deck well).
- Spoons (plastic or metal) you will use one less spoon than the number of players. In other words, for six players, use five spoons. If there are three players, use two spoons, etc.
After the spoons have been laid out on the table and the deck of cards have been shuffled, have the dealer place the deck next to him or her. The player on the right side of the dealer must place one of his or her cards face down on the table to begin a discard pile. At the same time, the dealer must pick up a new card.
Repeat this process of everyone passing to the left. Each round, the dealer picks up a new card, and the person on the right should add a card to the discard pile.
The Goal
The first person to get four of a kind has to pick up a spoon. All of the other players that get four of a kind must do the same. The slowest person left without a spoon loses and is excluded from further play. Remove a spoon every time you repeat a round of play. In other words, if you started with 5 people, play until one player is out, and then remove a spoon from play and start again. When there are four players, you should have 3 spoons, etc. until you have only two people left playing. Once you get down to 2 players, you have to finish going through the cards until one of the two players gets four of a kind and takes the spoon. The player with the last spoon wins.
An Addictive Game
Spoons may be slow to start the first time you play it, but once you get going, it moves very quickly. It can be difficult to be sneaky about hiding your hand, and you most certainly want to try if you can. However, it’s next to impossible to hide your deck the entire game. Other players will eventually see or figure out what you have, especially the faster the game moves.
More Players Equals More Fun
You can play spoons with only two people, but it’s not as entertaining than when you have a large group of people. Try it with fewer players and then try it with a large group to see which style of play you prefer. It’s best to play it once with just one player to get the hang of the game before taking on a large number of players.
A Fun Variation
Once you’ve mastered how to play Spoon, you can heat things up a bit by turning it into something more. For example, you can play Spoon in the manner of the basketball game Pig or Horse. Play rounds where the player that doesn’t get a spoon gets a letter. If they end up getting all the letters of the word “S-p-o-o-n-s,” they’re out of the game and can no longer participate unless all of the players begin a brand new game.
Tips
When you’re first learning to play Spoons, it’s really best to begin by using plastic spoons. If you don’t have any spoons or are short a few, you can substitute other items to be used in place of the missing spoons. You can grab your spoon subtly or hastily depending on your style of play. No matter what your style is, all players will enjoy the rush of the game play’s flow. With a little memorization and fast reflexes Spoons is a fun way to spend time with family, friends, even co-workers on break.
