# Play Speed Online for Free

## Speed Objective

To win Speed, you must be the first player to clear all 15 cards from your hand and stock by playing cards that are one rank higher or lower than either of the two center cards.

## How to Play Speed on Solitaired

Speed is a fast-moving, two-person card game, and if you don't have a partner, you can still enjoy the game on Solitaired, using these features:

* **Difficulty levels:** Under the Options menu, you can select from Easy, Medium, and Hard speeds to challenge yourself at different levels. The faster the speed, the quicker the game is played, which makes it harder.
* **Highlighted playable cards:** Because the game moves fast, Solitaired highlights the playable cards in your hand, making it easy to spot your next move.
* **Pause and Undo buttons:** Pause the game anytime to assess your options, or undo a move if you made a mistake and spot a better play.
![Speed card game setup](https://defbnszqe1hwm.cloudfront.net/images/Speed-card-game-setup.webp)  

## Speed Rules

* **Each player is dealt 15 cards divided into two sections:**  
  * **Hand cards:** Keep 5 of the 15 cards in your hand at all times. When you play a card, replenish your hand to 5 by picking up a stock card.
  * **Stock cards:** Keep restocking your hand cards from the 10 stock cards. If the stock cards are depleted, continue playing your remaining hand cards until one player is completely out of both hand and stock cards.
* **Play cards from your hand onto either center card when they are one rank higher or one rank lower.** Two cards are dealt face up between the players. These gameplay cards are where players place cards one rank higher or lower. If one of the two gameplay cards is 10♦, you can play any jack or 9 from your hand cards on the 10, regardless of suit. That jack or 9 becomes the new gameplay card.
* **Ranks wrap from ace to king and vice versa.** Because you can play ranks in both directions, if you have a king in the middle, you can play an ace as well as a queen, and if you have an ace in the middle, you can play a king as well as a 2.
* **Players don't take turns.** As soon as the game is set up, players begin playing onto the face-up cards in the middle. You can play as many cards in a row without taking turns.
* **If both players get stuck, flip a reserve card onto each center card.** During the deal, twenty cards are divided into two piles of 10 reserve cards, set on each side of the two gameplay cards. When neither player can make a move, flip the top card from each reserve pile onto the center cards to restart play.
* **Replenish your hand from your stock cards.** If you play a card, you must pick up a stock card to bring your hand cards to a total of 5\. On Solitaired, replacement cards are added to your hand automatically.
* **Play all your hand and stock cards first to win!** After your stock cards are depleted, you continue playing hand cards until you are completely out of cards. Reserve cards do not have to be depleted to win.
![Speed card game rules](https://defbnszqe1hwm.cloudfront.net/images/Speed-card-game-rules.webp)  

## Speed Strategies

* **Use the Pause button to survey your cards.** The game moves quickly, so if you need to make a plan for your cards, hit the Pause button and strategize your moves. You can use this button whenever and as often as you like. As the game begins, a quick pause can help you see what your hand cards are. As the game progresses and stock cards quickly replenish your hand cards, you might want to pause to reevaluate the cards you have now.
* **Plan a sequence strategy to play several cards in a row.** Because you don't have to take turns, plan a chain of plays to get rid of as many hand cards as possible. For example, if an 8♥ is open in the middle, you can play a 7, 6, and then a 5, getting rid of three cards. Because playable cards only have to be one rank higher or lower, you can get rid of more cards by playing in both directions. For example, you can play a 7, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
* **Prioritize doubles in your hand.** You can often end up with two cards of the same rank in your hand. When that happens, look for opportunities to dump one of them because as you near the end of the game, having doubles in your hand will be difficult or impossible to get rid of.
* **Use both of the middle gameplay cards.** Especially when planning, it's easy to get fixated on just one of the two middle cards, but to make the most of your options, plan plays for both cards in the middle.
* **Block your opponent.** Because your opponent will also be trying to play several cards in a row, try to play on the card your opponent just played to keep them from playing a chain of cards.

Like the name suggests, Speed is a fast-action game that's more like a race than a card game. And if you enjoy Speed, you should try games like [TriPeaks](https://solitaired.com/tripeaks-solitaire) and [Golf Solitaire](https://solitaired.com/golf-solitaire), both of which use the same card rank pairing. Or you may prefer other strategic two-person games like [Trash](https://solitaired.com/trash) or [Cribbage](https://solitaired.com/cribbage). On Solitaired, you can play these and many other multiplayer or Solitaire games for free!