Yin and Yang Card Playing — Spit and Solitaire

I love it when my daughter discovers what she thinks are “new” things like double-dutch or jump rope rhymes. It sometimes leads to an argument when I try and explain that, yes, I’ve heard of this before and only when I actually throw out a few rhymes myself does she believe me. Some of them are pretty, um, risqué! But this isn’t about jump rope because as a grown-up I’d need to get in much better shape before I could partake in that kind of fun. So in 5th grade there was this “new” great intense, energy building game called SPIT. I wasn’t half bad myself, but it was more about reflexes than strategy and I don’t know whether I taught my cousins (pictured left playing) or if they “discovered” it on their own. Regardless it gets your blood pumping.

The best description of how to play SPIT comes from ehow. And I love that there is a layout of the game on the card game rule site called Pagat because the minute I saw the layout I pretty much remembered how to play. I wonder how this comes down to personality type? Here’s my guess. If you’re a Smart or an Organic read the instructions from ehow, but then take a look at this diagram and you’ll remember. If you’re a Classic or a Fun then read the instructions on Pagat.

So the game is only for two players, but it’s quick and it’s fun and you’ve got to think and move fast. You deal the cards out evenly so each player has 26. Then each player deals themselves five “stock” piles of cards. First pile has 1 card, 2nd has 2, 3rd has 3, 4th has 4 and the 5th has five. The top card on each of these piles is turned up. The rest of the cards go into your SPIT pile and sit near the 5th pile. The object is to get rid of all your cards. Each player

When you’ve got your piles arranged, you start by yelling SPIT and taking the top of your SPIT pile and putting it in the center of the table. No one takes turns, you just trying to play your upturned cards on the two upturned cards in the middle of you and your opponent.

You can play cards that are lower or higher than the two top cards in the middle, suits don’t matter, Aces go both ways. When you’ve played the top card of one of your stockpiled cards you can turn the next card up and then try to play it. You both play until no one has any moves left. Then it’s time to “SPIT” again by playing the top card from their SPIT pile.

When both players are out of SPIT cards or one or both players out of Stock cards, you count to three and race to get the smaller SPIT pile. To get it first you’ve got to slap it first. Each player then combines the pile with the stock cards she didn’t play and sets up a new layout. If you don’t have enough for a SPIT pile, then only the other player will SPIT out cards. When you don’t have a SPIT pile and you get rid of your stock cards, then you win. Oh and I know I mentioned a table? But when I was a kid we always played on the floor.

Now. The opposite game of this is Solitaire. I’m not going to get into the rules of it. The Solitaire my mother taught me is often called Klondike-3. Here’s a good link. Many of us have played the game on our computers at work, and frankly I now play it at night on my iPad to help me drift off to sleep. For whatever reason it uses a different part of my brain that calms me down. It stops me from worrying and doesn’t engage me the same way that a book or story will. So I tend to let my eyes close quicker.

But I’ve also been thinking a lot about this. I don’t know how Classics and Funs feel about Solitaire or SPIT. I wasn’t bad at it, but I was never the best. I think that Classics and Funs are naturally better at those kind of quick moving card games. Or maybe it’s just the Funs. But I definitely know that my childhood friends who were Funs were very skilled at SPIT and video games like Mario Brothers and Pacman, whereas my slow reflexes and tendency to daydream made me a second rate player at best.

When I play Solitaire, I feel I am stretching my natural personality type preferences — which have been linked to brain science — so its harder for me, I don’t have a chance to worry or think about anything else, but strangely, if I’m playing it during class or some other endeavor where I’m supposed to listen? I’m actually able to listen better. If I’m just listening to a speaker I will often start to think about other things and not hear anything they have said. But if I’m playing Solitaire — or my new favorite OvenBreak — or doodling or taking notes? I tend to retain the information I’ve heard much better. So go figure. I’m an Organic Freedom, what’s your type and your experience with this kind of thing? Is it universal or am I just a freak?!