How do you play card game: Bomb City

October 31, 2009 8:06 PM

A couple sitting next to me on a plane were playing a fast two person card game that looked fun. I asked what it was called and they told me it was "Bomb City". Possibly I heard the name wrong. I figured I could easily look it up online and get the rules. No such luck. Does anyone know the rules for "Bomb City"? It was a two person game ( possibly more - I dont' know ), played with a deck of standard playing cards including jokers. I think each person started with three piles of two cards in front of them with the top one frace up. Each game seemed to take 5 or 10 minutes. Thanks in advance. - Dave
posted by metadave to sports, hobbies, & recreation (8 comments total)

Could it be a variation of speed?
posted by smoke at 9:20 PM on October 31

That also sounds to me like "Speed", although I thought it was called "Spit". I'm sure it has alot of names though. "Bomb City" is a much better name IMHO. Usually it's played with 4 or 5 piles, but I could see why you'd want to play an abridged version on the plane with the little tables.
posted by amethysts at 9:58 PM on October 31

I've heard it as Spit also.
posted by IndigoRain at 11:18 PM on October 31

Sounds like Spit to me, too. Maybe they rename while on airplanes just to be taboo?
posted by The Potate at 11:59 PM on October 31

The three piles of two cards (one down, one up) is a dead giveaway here. I knew it by a different name, but Wikipedia has it as Danish.
posted by NMcCoy at 1:30 AM on November 1

NMcCoy, wikipedia has a lot more detail about the remarkably similar game of Shithead, perhaps you've heard that name before? :)

Skimming that article it seems that in some variations the special cards are referred to as 'burn cards', possibly giving you 'Burn City' as a name?
posted by Lebannen at 2:33 AM on November 1

... Burn City, Bomb City, whatever. One day I will read questions properly....
posted by Lebannen at 2:37 AM on November 1

When I played Spit I think it was 5 piles not 3, but if you're on a plane maybe 3 piles fits better.
posted by radioamy at 2:12 PM on November 1