Before play, shuffle the deck and have each player draw a card; the player with the highest result is the dealer. Players sit in pairs facing each other, with enough space between them for three rows of cards. Deal a pile of 30 cards to each player, or 20 cards if there are five or more players. Place the pile to the player's right with the top card face up: This is the "stock" pile. Place the remaining cards in the center of the table to form the "draw" pile. The player sitting to the dealer's left plays first.
Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_2062678_play-skipbo.html