How To Play Garbage Card Game

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Don't you just love it when games have bizarre names? First we shared the Drop Dead dice game, then it was Pig dice, and now it's time to introduce you to Garbage, an easy card game for kids and families!

Playing cards set out in rows and stacks for Garbage card game in progress

Garbage, despite its name, is a game you'll want to play again and again. It is also, not surprisingly, known as Trash. Garbage is an excellent game for a wide range of players and even preschoolers who are working on number recognition will benefit from playing.

How to Play Garbage Card Game

Objective:

Be the first player to line up your cards in sequence order: ace to 10

What you need:

  • One deck of 52 cards for 2-3 players, an additional deck for 4 or more players.
  • 2 or more enthusiastic players

1. Deal

Deal each player 10 cards. Place the remaining cards in the middle of the table. This is the "draw pile."Each player arranges their cards in two lines of 5 cards each, face down. These lines of cards will correspond to the sequence of numbers with ace in the top left and 10 in the bottom right.

Garbage card game set up consisting of four rows of 5 face down cards labeled in two groups, 1-10 for player 1 and player 2; plus one stack of cards to the side.

2. Game Play

Player 1 takes the top card from the draw pile. If it is a number card he places it in the corresponding place in his number line, flipping and removing the card that occupied that position. He then takes the flipped card and places it in its corresponding spot, if applicable.

For example, if player 1 draws a 5, he flips over the card from the corresponding spot in the cards in front of him and places the 5 in that spot. If the flipped card is a number, he moves it to the corresponding position, and so on.

If he turns over a jack or a queen he discards it. Jacks and queens are "garbage!"

Garbage card game in progress revealing 5 of hearts far right of third row and jack of hearts placed next to stack.
Player 1 draws a 5, places in the 5 position, flips over the original card, which is a Jack, so he discards it and his turn is over.

A king is a wildcard and may be placed in any position. Wildcards can also be moved on subsequent turns

Garbage card game in progress revealing 8 of diamonds in middle of top row, 5 of hearts far right of third row and jack of hearts placed next to stack. Second photo adds 10 of diamonds to far left of top row.
Player 2 draws an 8, places it in the 8 position, flips over the original card, which is a 10; she places the 10 in the 10 position and will now flip over the original card in that position.

3. Play Continues

Play continues according to the game play rules above, with the exception that players can now choose a card from the draw pile or pick up the top card from the discard pile.

4. Winning

After one player has completed the ace-ten sequence, the other player(s) get one final turn in an attempt to tie the game.

Garbage card game set up, play in progress. Top row: 10, 9, 8, face down card, 6. 2nd row: 5, 4, face down card, 2, K. 3rd row: four face down cards, 5. Bottom row: 6, four face down cards.
Player 1 is close to winning. Note the King as a wild card in the 1 (ace) position.

4. Alternate (long) version

Play additional rounds. Everyone who was able to complete the 10 card sequence is now dealt 9 cards, while players who did not complete the 10 card sequence are dealt 10 cards again.

Garbage card game set up with top row only 4 cards on top row: all cards face down.
In this example, player 2 has won the first round, and so begins round 2 with only 9 cards, while player 1 still has 10 cards.

Play continues as above but this time, the first player to complete a sequence wins the round and in the subsequence round everyone who completed the sequence advances to the next lower-number sequence. For example, if a player completed 9 cards he now gets 8 cards.And so on.Until the final round when one player completes a round with only one card to flip.

More easy card games to love:

  • Clock solitaire
  • 9 card golf
  • Go Boom!

Tag » How To Play Trash Card Game