Spite and Malice Rules
Each player races to get rid of a 20-card pay-off pile by playing cards onto shared center piles in order from Ace to Queen. On your turn you draw up to five cards, play as many as you can, then discard one to end the turn. Kings are wild. First to empty the pay-off pile wins.
These are the rules for the two-player game as it is played on this site. Spite and Malice has been passed around families for a long time, so you will hear several slightly different versions. Where they differ, the notes below say so.
What you need
Two standard 52-card decks shuffled together, 104 cards in all. This version plays without jokers. Suits do not matter anywhere in the game. Only ranks count: Ace is low, followed by 2 through 10, Jack and Queen. Kings are wild.
Setup
| Area | What goes there |
|---|---|
| Pay-off pile | 20 cards each, stacked with only the top card face up |
| Hand | 5 cards each |
| Draw pile (stock) | The remaining 54 cards, face down in the middle |
| Center piles | Up to three shared piles, empty at the start |
| Discard piles | Four per player, empty at the start, all face up |
How a turn works
- Draw from the stock until you hold five cards.
- Play cards to the center piles for as long as you are able.
- End your turn by moving one card from your hand to any of your discard piles.
Playing to the center
A center pile begins with an Ace. After that, it grows by exactly one rank at a time: Ace, 2, 3, and so on up to Queen. Suits are ignored. You may play to a center pile from three places: your hand, the top card of your pay-off pile, and the top card of any of your four discard piles.
When a pile reaches Queen (twelve cards) it is complete. It is taken off the table and set aside, and its slot is free to start again with a new Ace.
Kings are wild
A King can be played on any center pile as whatever rank the pile needs next. Played on an empty pile it counts as an Ace, and played on a pile that needs a Queen it completes the pile. Once it is on the pile, it counts as that rank for everything that follows.
Emptying your hand
If you play your fifth hand card, draw five more at once and keep going. This is the main way to string together a long turn.
Discarding
You end your turn by placing one card from your hand on any of your four discard piles. There is no ordering rule: any card may go on any pile. The one exception is the Ace, which can never be discarded and must be played to the center. Only the top card of each discard pile can be played later, so the order you stack them matters.
The draw pile and recycling
When the draw pile runs out, shuffle the completed center piles together and use them as a new draw pile. In the rare case that there is nothing to draw, a player simply plays on with the cards held.
Winning
| Win | Play the last card of your pay-off pile to a center pile. The game ends at once. |
|---|---|
| Score | This site counts wins and losses. Some groups also score the loser's remaining pay-off cards. |
| Stalemate | If neither player can make progress for a very long time, the player with fewer pay-off cards left is ahead. |
A worked turn, step by step
Click through this example to see how a turn flows, from the first Ace to the closing discard.
You 20 left · Computer 20 left
Step 1 of 10
Your turn begins
You hold five cards and your pay-off pile shows a 3. All three center piles are empty, so only an Ace (or a King) can start one. You have an Ace.
Variants you may meet
| Variation | Common versions | On this site |
|---|---|---|
| Wild cards | Jokers, Kings, or both | Kings only, no jokers |
| Pay-off pile size | 20, 26 or 30 cards | 20 cards |
| Center piles | Three or four piles | Three |
| Discard rules | Some tables limit what may go on a pile | Anything but an Ace, anywhere |
A larger pay-off pile makes for a longer game, and fewer center piles make the game tighter. Agree on the version before you start if you are playing in person.
Common mistakes
- Discarding before you have played everything you can. Check the pay-off pile and your discard tops first.
- Spending Kings to empty your hand. Wild cards are best used to free a pay-off card.
- Putting a high card on a low one, which buries the low card for many turns.
- Building a center pile up to one below your opponent's pay-off card. You hand them the card they need.
- Forgetting that a finished center pile frees up a slot, which is the moment to start a new Ace.
Rules questions
How many cards does each player get in Spite and Malice?
In the version on this site, each player gets a 20-card pay-off pile and a hand of five. With two 52-card decks (104 cards), that leaves 54 cards in the draw pile.
What happens if I play all five cards in my hand?
You immediately draw five new cards and keep playing. You still need to end the turn with a discard.
Can I play the top card of a discard pile?
Yes. The top card of each of your four discard piles is available to play on a center pile, just like a card from your hand. You can only reach the top card, never one underneath it.
Do Kings really count as any card?
In this version, yes. A King can be played on any center pile as whatever rank that pile needs next, including as an Ace on an empty pile.
Can I discard an Ace?
No. Aces must be played to an empty center pile and cannot be put on a discard pile.
What if I have no card I can discard?
That is rare: it only happens when your hand is empty or holds only Aces. Your turn then simply ends once you have made any plays you can.
Looking for another two-player classic? Try Cribbage or Gin Rummy.
Ready to try it? Deal a game against the computer and put the rules to work.
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