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How to play Garbage (2026): Garbage, also called Trash, is a fast family card game where you race to fill a row of ten cards from ace to ten. Every card you flip can set off a chain reaction, and jacks are wild. It is easy enough for an eight-year-old and lucky enough that kids beat adults regularly. These rules follow the version published by Bicycle.
Note: some books use the name Garbage for an unrelated gambling game also called Hollywood Garbage. This guide covers the ten-card layout game families know as Garbage or Trash.
Decks for Garbage: Bicycle Rider Back Playing Cards (12-pack)
Two players need one deck; three or four need two; five or six need three. A 12-pack covers any table size.
Price band: $20–$30 (about $25) · Check today’s price on Amazon
Garbage setup
- Players: two or more.
- Decks: one standard 52-card deck for two players, two decks for three or four, three decks for five or six.
- Layout: deal each player ten cards face down in two rows of five. Do not look at them.
- Stock: the remaining cards go face down in the middle.
The layout positions stand for ace through ten: the top-left card is the ace spot, then 2, 3, 4 and 5 across the top row, and 6 through 10 across the bottom row.
Card values
| Card | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ace to 10 | Goes in its matching spot in your layout |
| Jack | Wild: can go in any spot that still has a face-down card |
| Queen or king | Unplayable: your turn ends |
Taking a turn
- Draw the top card of the stock, or the top card of the discard pile left by the player before you.
- If it is an ace through ten, place it face up in its spot, picking up the face-down card that was there.
- Look at that card. If it fits an open spot, place it and pick up the card beneath. Keep going.
- Your turn ends when you reach a queen, a king, or a number whose spot is already filled face up. Discard that card face up.
A jack can be placed in any spot still holding a face-down card. Later, if you draw the real number for a spot holding a jack, you can place it there and move the jack to another face-down spot, continuing the chain.
If the stock runs out, shuffle the discard pile, except its top card, to form a new stock.
Winning a hand and the game
The first player to have all of their spots filled face up wins the hand. In the next hand, the winner is dealt one fewer card: after one win, you play with spots ace through nine, and tens become unplayable for you. After two wins, ace through eight, and so on. The winner of each hand plays first in the next.
The game ends when a player has a single spot left and fills it with an ace or a jack. That player wins the whole game.
An example chain
You draw a 6. You flip your face-down 6 spot to place it and find a 2. You place the 2 and reveal a 9. You place the 9 and reveal another 2. Your 2 spot is already filled, so you discard it and your turn ends. Watch that discard: the next player can pick it up if their 2 spot is still face down.
Tips and table variations
- Watch the discard pile. The card the player before you throws away might be exactly what you need.
- Use jacks early or late? A jack placed early starts a chain; placed late, it can finish your layout. Both work, so watch your opponents’ rows.
- House rule for kids: some families let young players peek at one face-down card at the start.
- Similar games: Golf also uses a face-down layout, and Slap Jack is another great kids’ card game. Our family card games guide has plenty more.
Why Garbage works so well for families
Garbage needs no reading, no math beyond counting to ten, and no long explanations. Younger players learn number order naturally as they place each card in its spot, while older players enjoy watching the discard pile and timing their jacks. The shrinking layout also acts as a built-in handicap: whoever is winning has a harder target each hand, which keeps games close.
Garbage card game questions
Is Garbage the same as Trash?
Yes. Both names describe the same ten-card layout game.
Are jacks wild in Garbage?
Yes. A jack can go in any spot that still holds a face-down card.
How many decks do you need for Garbage?
One for two players, two for three or four, and three for five or six. A Bicycle 12-pack covers them all.
