Last Updated on May 8, 2026 by The Official Game Rules Team

Swoop, also known as Swipe, Swoosh, or Swish, emerged in North America in the early 21st century. It shares several similarities with Shithead, including a goal of shedding all cards by playing them onto a central pile, clearing the pile by playing a 10 or four of a kind, and a rule requiring players to pick up the pile if they can’t play a valid card. However, Swoop introduces key differences, such as larger hands, multiple decks, and a shift in focus from avoiding last place to winning each round by being the first to run out of cards. Scoring is based on the cards remaining in opponents’ hands.

2 decks of playing cards labeled Swoop for the card game

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How to Play Swoop (Complete Guide)

Players and Cards

Number of Players: 3 to 8
Deck Composition:
- 3-4 players: 2 decks (108 cards)
- 5-6 players: 3 decks (162 cards)
- 7-8 players: 4 decks (216 cards)

Suits are irrelevant, and card rankings are: A-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-J-Q-K. 10s and Jokers are special cards with no fixed rank. Play proceeds clockwise.

More of a visual learner? Checkout our video tutorial!

The Deal

Each player receives 19 cards. Without looking at them, they place four cards face down in a row (“mystery cards”). Then, four more are placed face up on top of the mystery cards. The remaining 11 cards form the player’s hand.

Instead of a dealer distributing cards, players often mix them into a heap and take 19 cards each. Any unused cards are set aside and not used in play.

The Play

The first player is chosen randomly, often by drawing the highest card from the unused pile. Play then rotates clockwise in subsequent rounds.

Players take turns adding 1-4 cards to a central “play pile.” Cards played must be equal to or lower than the pile’s top card. If higher, the player picks up the pile and starts a new one with the played cards. If the pile is empty, the played cards begin a new pile. Play continues unless a Swoop occurs or a player wins by playing their last card.

The Swoop

A Swoop occurs when the top four cards of the play pile are of equal rank. When this happens:

The pile is removed from play.
The same player takes another turn.
A Swoop can be achieved by playing a set of four equal cards or by adding cards to an existing set to complete four of a kind.

Special Cards:

10s and Jokers: Can be played at any time and cause an automatic Swoop.

Players may not play a set larger than four cards. If three 8s are on top of the pile, a player cannot play two 8s together but may play one, complete a Swoop, and then use their extra turn to play the other.

Mystery Cards

To win, players must also clear their four face-down “mystery cards.”

A mystery card cannot be played until the face-up card above it has been played.
The player flips the mystery card and must play it immediately.
If they have matching cards in hand or on the table, they may add them and play them as a set.
If the flipped card is higher than the play pile’s top card, the player must pick up the pile before playing it.

Swoop Scoring

When a player runs out of cards, opponents total the values of their remaining cards:

Ace: 1 point
2-9: Face value
J-Q-K: 10 points
10s and Jokers: 50 points

Scores accumulate over multiple rounds. When a player reaches 500+ points, the game ends. The player with the lowest score wins.

Alternate Scoring

Some prefer an easier scoring system:

A-9: 5 points
J-Q-K: 10 points
10s and Jokers: 20 points

Deal Variants

Some play with 20 cards per player (12 in hand, 4 face-down, 4 face-up).
Some use only face-down cards with all others in hand.
Others play with no table cards at all.

Rule Tweaks

Only Jokers cause a Swoop: In this variant, 10s are regular cards worth 10 points.
Swoops with more than 4 cards: Some allow Swoops with any number of equal cards, not just four.

Video Tutorial

Swoop FAQ

How many players can play Swoop?

The game works best with 3–6 players, but it can be played with as few as 2 and as many as 8.

What happens if I can’t play a card?

If you can’t play a valid card on your turn, you must pick up the entire central pile and add it to your hand.

How do I clear the pile?

You clear the pile (also called a “burn”) by playing a 10 or by playing four of a kind in a row. After burning, the player who cleared it starts the next round with any card from their hand.

What’s the role of face-up and face-down cards?

Each player begins with a set of cards in hand, a row of face-up cards in front of them, and a row of face-down cards beneath those. After the hand is empty, players must play from their face-up pile, then finally from their face-down pile without looking.

Can I choose not to play a card even if I can?

No. If you have a valid card that can be played, you must play it.

What happens if I mess up when playing from the face-down pile?

If you flip a face-down card and it’s not playable, you must pick up the pile along with that card.

How do you win Swoop?

The first player to successfully play all of their cards (hand, face-up, and face-down) wins. Play usually continues until all but one player are out.

Swoop is a dynamic game with room for customization, making it a fun and strategic card game for all skill levels.