How to Play Crazy Eights

Match the suit or rank of the previously discarded card to try to get rid of all your cards first. Eights are "crazy" because they don't have to follow the rules. Crazy Eights is a simple card game that's fun for all ages.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Card Tables
• Paper And Pencils
• Playing Cards

1. Deal out five cards to each player and place the remaining cards in the center of the table to form a stockpile.

2. Turn the top card of the stockpile over and lay it next to the stockpile to start your discard pile.

3. Have the person to the left of the dealer play first.

4. Play any card from your hand that matches the top card of the discard pile in either suit (heart, diamond, club or spade) or rank (match a three with a three or a king with a king, for example).

5. Draw a card from the stockpile (and lose a turn to discard) if you cannot make a legal play.

6. Play an eight on any card. Name the suit you'd like the next person to play. (Keep the suit the same if you choose.)

7. Win by getting rid of all your cards before anyone else does.

8. Score penalty points for all cards left in your hand after someone wins. Face cards count as 10 points; eights count as 50 points; aces count as one point; and all other number cards count as face value.

9. Play until someone gets 500 penalty points.

Tips & Warnings

• Because Crazy Eights is such a basic game, there are many variations you can play to spice it up.
• Use draw variations: For example, if you draw a legal card, you may play it immediately; or, if you don't draw a playable card, you must keep drawing until you do.
• Integrate UNO rules (see "Play Variations of UNO," under related eHows) into Crazy Eights - play a jack to force the next player to skip a turn, a queen to reverse direction of play, and the king to force the next person to draw two cards.

[530shasta]

on 3/30/2009 I play with 8 cards per player- not sure if that's "official" rules though. 5*

on 11/22/2005 Try using two decks of cards and jump in if your card is an EXACT match of the one in play. Another alternative for "draw 2" is simply to use the "2" card. It's much easier to remember. (We've used the King to reverse, but Queen is fine, as eHow suggests. Whatever is easier to remember...)