Crazy Eights Rules: How to Play Crazy 8 (and Win)
In Crazy Eights each player gets 7 cards (5 with more than two players in many homes). On your turn you play one card that matches the top card of the discard pile by suit or by number. Eights are wild: play one on anything and name the next suit. If you can't play, draw a card. The first player to get rid of all their cards wins, and scores the cards left in the other hands.
1. What you need and the deal
- Players: 2 to 7, with one standard 52-card deck (two decks for big groups).
- The deal: 7 cards each with two players; 5 each with three or more is common. On GameLake everyone gets 7.
- The start: the rest of the deck goes face down as the draw pile, and its top card is turned up to start the discard pile. If that card is an 8, many players bury it and turn another.
2. How a turn works
Play goes round the table. On your turn, play one card onto the discard pile that matches the top card by suit or by rank: on a 9♣ you may play any club or any 9.
- Eights are wild. Play an 8 on any card and say which suit comes next. The next player has to follow that suit (or play another 8).
- Can't play? Draw from the draw pile. In the GameLake version you draw one card; if it fits, you may play it straight away, otherwise your turn ends. (Some families keep drawing until a card fits.)
- The draw pile runs out? Shuffle the discard pile, except its top card, to make a new one.
3. Calling your last card
When you play your second-to-last card, warn the table: "Last card!" If someone catches you not saying it, you draw a penalty, usually two cards. In the game, tap the Last card! button before you play.
4. Winning and scoring
The first player with no cards left wins the hand. To play a longer game, the winner scores the cards still held by everyone else and the first to an agreed total (often 100 with two players) wins:
The usual Crazy Eights scoring for the cards left in the losers' hands.
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Each 8 | 50 |
| K, Q, J | 10 |
| Ace | 1 |
| 2 to 10 | Face value |
5. Crazy Eights with action cards
Many people play with extra powers on some ranks, the same idea as the shop-bought colour card games. On GameLake these are the Action rules:
The Action rules in GameLake's Crazy Eights.
| Card | What it does |
|---|---|
| 8 | Wild: change the suit |
| 2 | The next player draws 2, unless they answer with another 2 (then the next one draws 4, and so on) |
| Q | Skip: the next player misses a turn |
| A | Reverse: play changes direction |
Close cousins are Mau Mau from Germany and Makao from Poland: see the Mau Mau rules and the Makao rules.
6. Tips to win at Crazy Eights
- Save your 8. It's your way out when nothing else fits, and the perfect last card. Don't spend it early just because you can.
- Change to your longest suit. After an 8, name the suit you hold most of, so you keep having moves.
- Watch what others draw. A player who draws on clubs probably has no clubs: switch to clubs when they're next.
- Get rid of high cards first. If someone goes out, picture cards and 8s cost the most.
- Hold a 2 in the Action rules. It turns an incoming +2 into the next player's problem.
Practise against Hops: play Crazy Eights free on Easy, Medium or Hard, press Teach me for advice on every move, or invite up to three friends online.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards do you deal in Crazy Eights?
Seven each with two players. With three or more, many people deal five each; GameLake deals seven to all four players.
Can you play an 8 on an 8?
Yes. An 8 is wild and can go on any card, including another 8, and you name the suit again.
What happens if you can't play in Crazy Eights?
You draw a card. In GameLake's version you draw one and may play it if it fits; in some house rules you keep drawing until you can play.
Can you end Crazy Eights on an 8?
Yes. Your last card can be anything that may be played, including an 8.
Is Crazy Eights the same as Uno?
Uno is a branded game based on Crazy Eights, with its own special cards. Crazy Eights uses a normal deck; the Action rules add draw-two, skip and reverse cards in the same spirit.
How do you win Crazy Eights?
Be the first to play all your cards. Keep your 8 for the end, change the suit to your longest one, and get rid of high cards early.