Crazy Eights is a card game for two to seven players. Match the top card by suit or rank, and be first to empty your hand.
Eights are wild. It's also called Switch, Last Card or Swedish Rummy, and Uno is a boxed version.
At a glance
- Players: 2 to 7
- Deck: One standard 52-card deck, no jokers. Use two decks for six or more.
- Time: 10 to 30 minutes
- Goal: Empty your hand first, and be first to the target score
The cards above are from The Cowboy Edition.
Setup
Deal seven cards each with two players. With three or more, deal five each.
Put the rest face down as the stock. Turn the top card face up beside it to start the discard pile.
If that first card is an eight, the dealer names the suit to follow.
How to play
The player on the dealer's left goes first. Play goes clockwise.
On your turn, play one card on the discard pile. It must match the top card's suit or its rank.
On the 5 of diamonds, you could play any diamond, or any 5.
Eights
An eight can be played on any card. Then name a suit.
The next player must play that suit, or another eight.
When you can't play
Draw from the stock until you get a card you can play. Then play it.
You may also draw when you could play. Sometimes it pays to save a card.
If the stock runs out, set the top discard aside. Shuffle the rest of the pile to make a new stock.
Scoring
The first player to play their last card wins the hand. They score the cards left in everyone else's hand.
| Card left in a hand | Points |
|---|---|
| Each eight | 50 |
| King, queen or jack | 10 |
| Ace | 1 |
| Every other card | Face value |
Say your opponent is caught holding an eight and a 6. You score 56 for the hand.
How to win
Keep a running score. The target is 50 points for each player in the game.
So two players play to 100, three to 150, and four to 200. The first to reach it wins.
Tips
- Save your eights. One played too early is one you won't have when you're stuck.
- Get rid of high cards first. An eight caught in your hand costs 50.
- Change to a suit you hold several of. Then you have plays lined up.
- Watch what the next player draws on. It tells you which suits they're missing.
Variations
- Draw one. If you can't play, draw just one card. Play it if you can, or pass.
- Draw three. Draw up to three cards, then pass if none of them play.
- Special cards. A 2 makes the next player draw two, unless they play a 2. A queen skips the next player. An ace reverses the direction of play.
- Last card. Say last card when you're down to one. Forget, and draw two as a penalty.
- Penalty scoring. Everyone except the winner scores the cards left in their own hand. When someone reaches 100, the lowest total wins.
- Crazy Eights Countdown. Everyone starts at 8, and your number is your wild rank. Each time you go out, it drops by one. The first to reach 0 wins.
- Switch. In Britain, aces are often wild instead of eights.
Where these rules come from
These rules follow Pagat's Crazy Eights, checked against Wikipedia's Crazy Eights article. Drawing until you can play and the target of 50 a player follow Wikipedia.
Common questions
Can you play an eight on anything?
Yes. An eight goes on any card, and you name the next suit.
Can you go out on an eight?
Yes. Any card you can legally play can be your last.
Do you have to draw if you can play?
No, but you may. Some players draw on purpose, to hold a card back.
How many cards do you deal in Crazy Eights?
Seven each for two players. Five each for three or more.
What happens when the stock runs out?
Keep the top discard, shuffle the rest, and turn it over as the new stock.
Is Crazy Eights the same as Uno?
Uno is a boxed version of the same idea, with its own cards. Crazy Eights uses a standard deck.
Why is it called Crazy Eights?
The game was first known simply as Eights, in the 1930s. The name Crazy Eights dates from the 1940s.
More games
War is another quick game for kids and families. Rummy is a game of sets and runs. Six-Card Golf is a draw-and-discard game for two to four.
Cheat sheet
Download the Crazy Eights cheat sheet, a one-page PDF to print.