How to Play Garbage (AKA Trash)

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Learn to play the easiest (and trashiest) card game around

Co-authored by Cheyenne Main Reviewed by Ashton Wu

Last Updated: March 11, 2025 Fact Checked

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Rules & Gameplay

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How to Win

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Alternate Versions

Garbage (also called Trash) is a fun and easy card game that’s perfect for all ages. Not only is it a good way to pass the time, it can be a great way for kids to learn counting and other early math learning skills. All you need to play is a deck of standard playing cards and up to 5 friends. Keep reading to learn how to play, win, and spice up your game with alternate rules.

Quick Garbage Overview

Players: 2 to 6+
Number of decks: Use 1 deck for 2 to 3 players, 2 for 4 to 5, and 3 for 6 or more.
Objective: Be the first player to complete your sequence of 10 cards.

Section 1 of 3:

Rules & Gameplay

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1
Deal out 10 cards face-down to each player. Shuffle a deck or more of standard playing cards. Choose 1 player to be the dealer, and have them give 10 cards to each player, including themselves. None of the players look at their cards.
- Use 1 deck of cards for 2 to 3 players and 2 decks for 4 to 6 players. For 6 or more players, use 3 decks.
- Jokers can be placed aside or shuffled in the deck and used as wild cards.
2
Place the 10 cards in 2 rows of 5 and the rest of the deck in the middle. Each player takes the 10 cards they were given and places the cards in front of them in 2 horizontal rows with 5 cards in each row. The top left card represents the ace (or 1) position, the next card is the 2 position, and so on. The bottom right card represents the 10 position.^{[1]
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- The deck in the middle is the draw pile. The discard (or “garbage”) pile can be placed next to the deck.
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3
Draw a card from the middle and put it in position on your rows. If you draw a card with an Ace or a number on it from 2 to 10, put the card in the correct position over the 10 cards in front of you.
- If you draw a 7, put the card over the 7th position, which is over the second card in row 2.
- Kings are wild. If you draw a king, you can place it over any card in any position.
- Jacks and Queens mean nothing in Garbage. If you draw one, your turn ends.
  - In some versions of the game, jacks or jokers are wild while kings are “trash” and are discarded.
4
Move the card under the one you placed to the correct position. Once you place the card you drew in the correct position in the rows in front of you, take the face-down card underneath it and move it to its correct spot.
- If the face-down card is an 8, put this card over the 8th position. You can now pick up the face-down card in the 8th position and move it to its correct spot.
- If you draw a card with a number that corresponds to the position that a king is in, put the numerical card in its correct position and move the king to whatever position you’d like.
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Your turn ends when you draw a card you can’t put in a position. If you draw a jack, queen, or a numerical card with a position that has already been filled by another card, put it in the discard or “garbage” pile face-up next to the draw pile. The person to your left now takes their turn.
- After the first player finishes their turn, the other players can pick up a card from the discard pile instead of the draw pile if they see one they’re missing.

Section 2 of 3:

Winning Garbage

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Play continues until a player gets all 10 cards face-up in sequence. After a player places the last card they need to have 2 rows of 10 cards from ace to 10, the other players take 1 last turn to see if they can tie with the winner.
- Alternatively, ask the other players to flip over the remaining cards in their rows. If a player happens to have the rest of the cards in the correct order, they tie with the winner.
- The 10 cards in your rows don’t have to be the same suit.

Section 3 of 3:

Alternate Versions

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1
Deal the winner of the previous round 1 less card. After a player wins the first round, deal them 9 cards and give the other players 10 cards. The winner now only has to get 9 cards face-up in order from ace to 10 to win this round. Continue playing until a player is only dealt 1 card. When this player replaces the card with an ace, they win the entire game.
- This version of the game is longer, but can be more fun!
- Some versions require the player with 1 card left to place either an ace or a king, while others require them to place an ace to win.
2
Use a king to turn over another player’s card. Instead of having the kings as wild cards (or “garbage” cards), allow players to use a king they turn over on another player of their choice.^{[2]
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Research source} Pick which face-up card in position you’d like to flip over, then discard the king. The other player will replace the face-up card with a face-down card from the draw pile.
- The other player then places the face-up card from their row in the discard pile.
- For example, if a player draws a king from the middle, they use it to flip over a person’s 8. The 8 card is discarded with the king, and the other player puts a new face-down card in that position.
3
Ask players who are learning to count questions during the game. The two rows of cards have the same structure as other number-related activities that young children learn in school. If you’re playing the game with 4 to 6-year-old players, ask them questions during the game to promote thinking and math learning.^{[3]
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- “Does the number you just drew go in the top row or the bottom row?”
- “Which player is winning? How do you know?”
- “What numbers do you still need?”
- “Can this game end in a tie? How?”
4
Play the game by yourself to practice your skills. To play a 1-player version of garbage, follow the same rules above. When you discard a card you can’t use, go straight into the next round. Once all your cards are face-up in sequence from ace to 10, reshuffle the deck, deal out 9 cards, and start the next game.^{[4]
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- Play using the rules for the first alternate version of the game, dealing yourself 1 less card each time you complete a sequence. When you have 1 card left, draw an ace to win.
- Optionally, place a timer nearby to time yourself. Try to win the round as quickly as possible.^{[5]
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- You can also play garbage for free online by downloading an app from the App Store or the Google Play Store.