How to play Pitty Pat the card game

Are you looking for a quick and simple game to play? If so, Pitty Pat the card game could be the perfect game for you.

Originating from Belize, the game could not be more simple to understand.

Pitty Pat doesn’t have as many rules as other forms of Rummy such as Conquian, making it ideal if you’re looking to introduce someone to cards.

A pairing game, the only thing you’ll need to know to play is what a pair of cards is.

Other card games that are ideal for first-timers include Follow the Queen and Chase the Ace. 

Read on to find out how to play ‘Pitty Pat’.

What is ‘Pitty Pat’?

‘Pitty Pat’ is a game in which the aim is to be the first player to get rid of all your cards. Achieved this by dividing your cards into pairs and will need a full 52 deck of cards.

Number of Players Required: 2-4

Who Can Play It: All ages, particularly recommended for playing with younger children.

Difficulty: Easy

Main Objective: Be the first player to get rid of their cards.

Why we love it: Incredibly simple to understand for new players. If you’re playing with those new to card games it’s a perfect game to start with as it’s quick but fun.

Playing ‘Pitty Pat’ Card Game – What you’ll need:

As long as you have a couple of friends to play with the only other thing that you’ll need is a deck of 52 cards.

Some people who are keen on playing cards make it a hobby to collect different decks – playing cards often make a great souvenir!

To get you started though, consider getting a basic deck like this one from LotFancy. It comes with many decks too in case you manage to lose one.

How to set up your game

Decide upon a dealer before you begin to shuffle the deck of cards. The player to the left of the dealer starts the game and gameplay goes clockwise around the circle.

‘Pitty Pat’ Rules and Gameplay

Once you’ve played a few rounds of ‘Pitty Pat’ you’d agree that it’s a quick and easy game to play with the added benefit of being fun to play.

Starting the game

Each player gets given five cards to start with and keep the remaining cards in the middle as the ‘stock’.

Turn the card on top of the ‘stock’ face-up. This is the ‘up-card’. The ‘up-card’ starts the discard pile and is set next to the stock to create a separate pile.

Once everyone has five cards each, there are two piles of cards with one of the piles faced down, the game can begin.

How to Play ‘Pitty Pat’ Card Game

• After receiving your hand of cards, see if you’ve got any numerical pairs and set them aside.
• Starting from the left of the dealer, the player will aim to get rid of their remaining cards by drawing the same number from the deck to make a pair.
• The player can either choose the card that is on the ‘discard’ pile if it makes a pair or chooses a card from the facedown ‘stock’ pile to try to make a pair.
• If a player chooses the card from the ‘stock’ then that player must discard one of their other cards and add it face up to the ‘discard’ pile.
• Repeat this around the circle until a player manages to get rid of all their cards.

How to keep score in Pitty Pat

Keeping the score in Pitty Pat could not be simpler. 

All you need to know is how many pairs that you have made until all your remaining cards are in pair form.

Then you can tally up how many games each player wins with the winner being the player with the most victories. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any variations on Pitty Pat rules?

Although considered a simple game, like any card game you can adjust Pitty Pat to fit in with your family and friends.

If you wanted to include more people in the game then consider adding another deck into your game.

You can also choose to adjust the rules so that you only pairs of the same color. Or if playing with a second deck included then you can only accept pairs of the same suit.

How can we decide upon a dealer?

There are several ways you can decide this. Find a way that works for you and the other participants and make sure it is fairly decided.

We recommend choosing who the dealer is by having all players draw a card from a shuffled deck. The player with the highest value card is the dealer.

You can also choose to put a joker in the deck and have whatever player draws the joker be the dealer also.

Alternative games to ‘Pitty Pat’

If you’re looking for a quick card game or something simple to teach to newcomers to cards, then ‘Pitty Pat’ could be the ideal game for you.

If you’re looking for more games that are more similar or slightly difficult though, you may consider alternatives, such as Conquian, Concentration or Tonk.

Conquian is a game like Pitty Pat where players match cards up but is a more complex version of this if you’re looking to raise the stakes.

If you do choose to play Pitty Pat though we’re sure you’ll be able to see why it’s Belize’s favorite game.