How to Play Trash

Reviewed by Ashton Wu

Last Updated: December 11, 2024 Approved

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Trash is an easy card game that can be played by just about all ages. Play it with kids to teach them about numbers or with a group of adults to quickly pass the time. The game requires 1 standard deck of cards for two players. Three players should use two decks. Add an extra deck for each two additional people. You’ll also need a flat playing surface that you can spread your cards out on. The object of the game is to assemble a set of cards ranging from Ace to ten, which can include wildcards. Trash is a flexible game that you can play just a couple of rounds of or you can play the full ten rounds.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Setting Up the Game

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Shuffle one or more decks of standard playing cards. If you are playing with only two players, one deck of cards is enough. If you are playing with 3 or more players, use two decks of cards. If you are playing with 5 or more, use at least 3 decks. Shuffle all of the cards into one deck. Leave the jokers in the decks.
2
Deal 10 cards to each player. Do not look at the cards. Deal one card at a time to each player until everyone has ten cards. Be sure to deal the cards facedown. Another variation of this game uses only eight cards per person with the cards lined up in rows of 4.^{[1]
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- If you have plenty of room, place the cards in a single line of 10 rather than two rows.
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The cards can be arranged in any order as long as they remain face down and you don’t look at them. This set is your original hand but all of them will be replaced, moved, or discarded during the game.
Once everyone has been dealt 10 cards, place the rest of the deck in the center of the playing area facedown. This pile becomes the draw pile. Take the top card and lay it face up next to the draw pile. This becomes the discard pile.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Playing Your Turn

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1
Draw a card and place it in the correct spot. Take a card from the draw pile or the face up discard pile. If it is any card Ace through ten, place it in the correct spot. An Ace goes in the top left and the cards go in numerical order up to ten. A ten goes in the bottom row, furthest to the right. Pick up your original card and hold onto it until the next step which explains what to do with it.^{[2]
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- Jokers and Kings count as wildcards and can be placed anywhere. If you draw the number later that goes in the spot a wildcard is sitting, you can swap them out.
- If you draw a card that can’t go anywhere (including Jacks and Queens which don’t count for anything) place the card in the discard pile and the play passes to the next player.
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Look at the card from your original set and move it to its correct spot. Once you have drawn and placed the card in the spot that it goes in, look at the card that was already in that spot. If you can place it in one of the remaining spots then do so.^{[3]
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- For example, if you draw a two and place it in the two spot, and the original card in that spot is a three, place the three in the three spot.
- Continue replacing your original cards until one does not fit. For example, you already placed the two and the three, but in the three spot was a Jack. Discard the jack and the play passes to the next player.
If you draw a card that would go in a spot that is already filled, discard it. If you flip over a card from your original hand that can’t be placed somewhere else, discard it.^{[4]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Continuing and Winning the Game

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1
End the round. Once a player has filled all ten spots with cards Ace through ten (including wildcards), they have to say “Trash” to end the round. When this happens, each player gets to draw one more card to try and complete their set of Ace-ten. Anyone who successfully does so will move to the next level in the following round.^{[5]
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- You are allowed to place original cards in the place they belong, the same way as you did on other turns throughout the game.
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Gather up all of the cards and deal the next round. Collect each player’s cards and the draw and discard piles. Shuffle them. Deal nine cards to the winner of the first round, and any other player who finished with a complete set. Any player who did not have a full set at the end of the round is dealt ten cards.
- Each round that a player finishes their set, they are dealt one less card in the following round.
3
Finish the game. Continue playing each round in the pattern described until one player is only dealt one card. They must fill that spot with an Ace or wildcard. If they do so and they say “Trash,” this ends the entire game.^{[6]
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- You don’t have to play all ten rounds. Play a shorter game until one player is dealt 6 cards and fills all six spots.

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Question

Do you pick a card off the discard pile when it's your turn?

Community Answer

Yes, if you need it and want to. The card somebody throws out that you need - you can pick that up, too.

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Question

Should I use one or two decks?

Community Answer

It depends on how many people you want to play with.

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Question

If left with a queen face-up, am I out, or do I have to steal with it?

Community Answer

You only turn a card over if you have the card to put in its place. For example, you have a five in your hand and the five spot is still covered, or face down; you place the five in its corresponding space and turn over the card that was previously there. If that is a queen, you discard it and your turn is over. You will not turn over a card without a card to replace it, so you won't have a queen face-up.

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