Garbage Card Game

Looking for a perfect card game for 2 players? Look no further, Garbage card game is easy, fun, and designed for kids, including preschoolers, of all ages.

In this post, I will teach you how to play this simple card game and provide you with printable rules and cheat sheets, too. Because when we sit down to play a game, it is so nice to have rules, scoring guides, and cheat sheets handy.

Related: This is the third card game in my series. In case you missed the first two, I’ve got How to Play Spoons and Hand and Foot.

Let’s Get ACQUAINTED With Garbage

Garbage is also known as Trash. I’m being serious here, there is a card game called Garbage and it is also known by the name Trash.

That sounded all sorts of wrong, didn’t it? So, enough with the Trash talk, here’s what you need to know:

• Preschoolers, Kindergarteners and anyone needing practice with number recognition and the sequence of numbers will boost their math skills by playing Garbage.
• Besides that, super competitive people who like to play strategically will love the Wildcards and 11 round game play.
• Perfect game for order-loving players because of the grid system or frame for card layout.
• And anyone who enjoys playing cards will love this game because it is SO FUN!

The object of the Game

Get rid of all your cards by completing your layout of cards first. In other words, be the first player to line up your cards in sequence, starting with the Ace. (Don’t get stuck with the Garbage.)

Card Values

Aces are low in this game. They count as 1 point and go in the first slot of the grid or frame.

2-10 count as their face value.

Jacks are wild. That means Jacks can be any card, ace through 10.

Kings and Queens automatically end a player’s turn.

How to Deal

Deal 10 cards facing down to each player. Players are not allowed to pick up these cards or look at them yet. The rest of the cards are the stockpile which is placed in the center of the table. After cards are dealt, players keep their cards face down and arrange them in 2 rows of cards. The top row and the bottom row both have five cards.

Garbage Card Game Rules and Game play

Player to the left of the dealer goes first by drawing the top card from the stock pile, or deck in the middle of the table. If the player draws and Ace through 10, the player places it in its correct location in the layout. So, the player must remove the face down card and turn it face up. This card, in turn, is placed in its appropriate location, if available, displacing the face down card that was there. Play until you find a card that cannot be placed. For example: The player draws a Queen or King or a number card whose location is already occupied by a face up card with that number.

When a player can no longer make a move, that player discards into the discard pile and ends his turn. The next player to the left can either take the top discard or draw the top card of the deck.

Kings and are Queens are unplayable cards and they automatically end the player’s turn.

Play a Jack in any position, because it is wild. If a Jack is placed in the 3rd position, for instance, and the player draws a 3, the Jack can be removed and played somewhere else.

If the stockpile runs out, remove the top card and shuffle the remaining cards in the discard pile to create a new draw pile.

How to keep score in Garbage

Complete your layout or frame first to win the round.

Re-shuffle and re-deal the cards, but the winner of the first round gets 9 cards while everyone else gets 10 cards. The first-round winner must place Ace-9 in the second round. The 10 becomes an unplayable card for him, along with the Queen and King.

The winner of the round plays first in the next round.

The game continues until a player has only one location and wins the hand by filling it with the Ace or the Jack. This player wins the whole game!

What you need to Play Garbage Card Game

The number of players determine how many decks of cards are needed. Take the Jokers out of the decks.

• 2 players need one standard deck of cards-52 cards.
• 3-4 players need two standard decks.
• 5-6 players need three decks of cards.
• Players need a table, floor or flat surface to play on.

Before you go

I love it when my family and friends to gather, laugh and play! We certainly love a fun card game to play after dinner. So, I thought I would suggest a few more family friendly games for you to try! Let me know in the comments how your family has fun!

• FUN! Family Games Tested and Approved provides a wealth of suggestions for board games, card games and an original game from Skip to my Lou! All tested and approved!
• Need to create games for your Halloween Carnival or Class Party? Try Halloween Party Games for ideas on making Fall Festival, carnival or school party games!
• Did you watch Minute to Win It? Well, here are the instructions on how to make those same games to play at home with family and friends! Click here for Minute to Win It games.
• Need some ideas for teen oriented games? Never Have I Ever Questions for Teens will keep them engaged and excited.
• Do you love to get outside and play Games? How about Life-sized Jenga? Giant Connect 4 and Scrabble, Cornhole and more. Check this post out and learn how to build your own outdoor games! Amazing!

Did you and your family enjoy this game?