players begin with a hand of five pipe cards and two wrenches. cards used in play are lead pipe cards, copper pipe cards (invulnerable to leaks), and lead pipe cards that are already leaky. the valve card is placed on the table to begin a player's pipeline. the spout card is set aside until it is used by a player who has completed their pipeline, and then immediately the player ends the game by placing the spout aimed down toward the player.