Spit strategy

Spit looks like a test of fast hands, but most of the time is lost searching, not moving. The players who win know which ranks each pile needs before they look down, line up runs of cards, and uncover their buried cards early. The tips below cover the game on this site, where you play the computer, and the classic game with a real deck. If you need a refresher first, read the Spit rules.

Two piles, four target ranks. Every center pile accepts exactly two ranks: one above and one below. With a 7 and a queen showing, you are looking for 6, 8, jack or king, and nothing else.

Say the targets to yourself every time a pile changes, then glance at your stacks looking only for those ranks. Searching for four specific cards is much quicker than comparing every card with every pile.

• Include the wraparound. A pile showing an ace wants a king or a 2. A pile showing a king wants a queen or an ace. These plays are easy to overlook because the ranks look far apart.
• Use the dimming online. Top cards that can’t be played right now are dimmed. When a pile changes, let your eyes jump to the bright cards instead of reading each stack.
• Watch both piles, always. It is natural to lock onto the pile you just played on. The other pile is just as open to you.

The strongest moment in Spit is a run: a 6 on a 5, then a 7 on the 6, then an 8 on the 7, all before your opponent reacts. Each card you play becomes the next target, so think one card ahead.

Pick the longer run

If a pile shows an 8 and you can see a 7, a 9 and a 10, go up: the 9 and then the 10 is two cards. Starting with the 7 gets you only one, because the 9 no longer fits.

Runs can turn around

A pile showing a 7 can take your 8, and then a 7 from another of your stacks on top of that. A card that matches the pile’s rank isn’t stuck; it just needs one card in between.

Look under the card you play

Playing from a stack uncovers a new card. Often that card fits the pile you just played on, or the other one, so check it straight away.

Prefer the play that leads somewhere

When two cards can be played, choose the one that sets up a follow-up play for you. A dead-end card can wait a moment.

Your five stacks start with 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 cards. Only the top card of each is in play, and everything underneath stays hidden until you uncover it. That makes the tall stacks valuable: every card you play from them reveals another option.

• When two plays are equally good, take the one from the tallest stack. It reveals a new card. Clearing a one-card stack leaves you with one fewer card to choose from.
• Start digging early. Online, an empty slot stays empty until the next round is dealt. Cards buried at the bottom of your five-card stack are the hardest to reach, so give that stack priority from the start.
• Read the numbers. The small number on each stack shows how many cards it still holds, so you can see at a glance where your remaining cards are.

When nobody can move, someone has to call Spit. Online you can press the button as soon as it lights up; if you wait, the computer calls it after a moment. Handled well, being first is an advantage.

• Check the computer’s stacks first. The button only works when neither side can play. If one of the computer’s cards fits, it will play it within a moment, and then you can flip.
• If the button stays dimmed and you can’t see a play, look for a wraparound (king on ace, ace on king or 2) on both piles.
• After you press, look at your stacks, not the button. Two new cards land at once. The computer moves on a fixed rhythm rather than reacting instantly, so the first fraction of a second after a flip is often yours.

It plays at a steady rhythm

The computer plays one card at a time at the pace you choose: relaxed, normal (a little faster than one card per second) or fast. It never speeds up mid-game, but it never hesitates either. You beat it with bursts: two or three cards in quick succession whenever a run opens up.

It takes the first play it finds

It checks its stacks from left to right and plays the first card that fits, trying Pile 1 before Pile 2. It doesn’t plan runs or hold cards back, so it sometimes spends a card that would have served it better later.

It keeps changing your targets

Every card the computer plays changes a center pile, so a play you were about to make can vanish. When you see a playable card, take it now rather than lining up the perfect sequence.

• Agree on house rules first: one hand or two, whether ranks wrap from king to ace, and what happens when both players reach the same pile at once.
• Lay your stockpiles out with space between them so you can read every top card without moving your head.
• Race to finish the round. The first player to empty their stockpiles gets to claim the smaller center pile, which means fewer cards to get rid of next round.
• Know which pile is smaller before the round ends. When your last card goes down, your hand should already be moving toward it.

Watching only one pile

Both center piles are open to you all the time.

Forgetting the wraparound

King on ace and ace on king or 2 are easy to miss.

Clearing short stacks first

Dig into tall stacks to uncover more options.

Pausing after a flip

The moment after Spit is your best chance to play first.

Waiting for the perfect run

Take a playable card now; the pile may change any second.

Waiting to call Spit

Press it as soon as it lights up, or the computer will.

• Play a few games saying the four target ranks out loud after every change to a pile.
• Count how many cards you play in a row after each flip, and try to beat that number.
• Before each click, glance at the card underneath the one you just played. Building that habit is what turns single plays into runs.