Play Now
Crazy Eights
Crazy Eights is a shedding-type card game and the ancestor of commercial games like Uno. It dates to at least the 1930s and is playable by two to several players with one standard deck. The aim is to be the first to get rid of all your cards.
Crazy Eights Rules
Each player is dealt a hand — five cards with more than two players, seven with two — and the rest form a stock with one card flipped to start the discard pile. Play passes clockwise.
On your turn you must play a card matching the top discard by either suit or rank. Eights are wild: you can play one anytime and then declare any suit the next player must follow. If you can't or won't play, you draw from the stock until you can.
The first player to discard their entire hand wins the round. Losers are scored by the cards left in their hands — eights count 50, face cards 10, aces 1, others their pip value — and play continues to a target total.
Crazy Eights Strategy & Tips
Hoard your eights
Eights are your escape hatch when you can't match the pile. Save at least one for late in the hand rather than burning them early as ordinary plays.
Steer to your strong suit
When you play an eight, declare the suit you hold the most of. This keeps you matching easily while forcing opponents to draw.
Track the discards
Note which suits keep appearing and which opponents draw a lot. If someone repeatedly draws on a suit, switch to it to pile on extra cards.
Dump high cards first
If you get stuck holding cards, face cards and especially eights cost heavily. When you have a choice of equal plays, shed the higher-scoring card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are eights wild in Crazy Eights?
By the game's rules, an eight can be played on any card, and the player then names a new suit. This flexibility is the whole point — and why the game is named after them.
How many cards do you start with in Crazy Eights?
Seven cards each in a two-player game, and five each when three or more play. The remaining cards form the draw stock.
What happens if you can't play a card?
You draw from the stock until you can play a legal card, or in some house rules draw just one card and then pass. Play then moves to the next player.
Is Crazy Eights the same as Uno?
No, but Uno is directly based on it. Crazy Eights uses a standard 52-card deck with eights as the only wild card, while Uno adds its own action and wild cards.