Speed: Rules and How to Play
Speed is a two-player card game that takes about five minutes. There are no turns — play a card one rank from a centre pile as fast as you can, and the first to run out wins. Free. No account.
Setup
- Two players and a 52-card deck.
- Split the deck into red (hearts and diamonds) and black (spades and clubs), 26 cards each. One player takes each colour.
- Lay four of your cards face up in front of you. The rest are your face-down pile.
- Two piles go in the middle. To start, you each turn one card onto them.
How to play
- There are no turns. Whenever you can play, you may — and so can the other player.
- A card can go on a centre pile if it is one rank above or below the top card. Ace and king join up, so the ranks run in a ring.
- If you both go for the same pile at once, only the card that arrives first is played. The other comes straight back.
- Each time you play one of your four, turn one from your face-down pile to replace it. Once that runs out, carry on with what is in front of you.
- If neither of you can play, you each turn one card onto the centre piles and carry on. A player with no face-down cards left taps the face-up card they want to put down.
Winning and scoring
- The first player with no cards left — none face down and none face up — wins.
- A party can set best of three, in which case the first to three wins takes it.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | In ranked play, a draw counts as halfway between a win and a loss for your rating. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| JokersJokersEach player's pile gets one joker. A joker can go on any pile, and any card can go on a joker, so it gets you out of a jam. Play stalls less often and games move faster. | Adds two jokers. A joker goes on any pile, and any card goes on a joker. | Off | Yes |
| SwapSwapA swap lets you put your four cards under your pile and draw four new ones when none of them can be played. With it off, you have to wait until neither player can play and both piles are restarted together. With it on, you can get moving again even while your opponent is still playing. | When you cannot play, put your four cards under your pile and draw four new ones. | Off | Yes |
| Games to win | How many games it takes to win the match. | One game | Yes |
Terms
- Centre piles
- The two piles in the middle. Only the top card of each matters.
- Your four
- The cards face up in front of you. These are the only ones you can play.
- Your pile
- Your face-down cards. One comes up each time you play one of your four.
- Ready
- When neither of you can play, you each add a card to the piles at the same time.
FAQ
Do ace and king join up?
Yes. On an ace you can play a king or a two, and on a king a queen or an ace.
What if we both go for the same pile?
Only the card that arrives first is played. The other comes straight back to you.
What happens when neither of us can play?
Press Ready. You each turn one card onto the centre piles and carry on.
What if my face-down pile runs out?
Carry on with the cards in front of you. When you are both stuck, tap the one you want to put down.
How do jokers work?
Only if the party turns them on. A joker goes on any pile, and any card goes on a joker.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-23 · Run by Qdan, Inc.