Crazy Eights

How to play Crazy Eights

Crazy Eights is a fast, friendly card game for two to four players. It uses one normal deck of 52 cards. It is the classic "shedding" game: everyone tries to get rid of their cards. If you have played games where you match colours or numbers, you will feel at home at once. Here you play against one, two or three computer players.

Goal

Be the first player to play every card from your hand.

The deal

With two players each player gets 7 cards. With three or four players each player gets 5. The rest of the deck is the face-down stock. The top card of the stock is turned up to start the discard pile. If that card is an 8, it goes back into the stock and a new card is turned up.

Turn by turn

1. On your turn, play one card on the discard pile. It must match the top card by suit (for example a heart on a heart) or by rank (for example a 9 on a 9).
2. Eights are wild. You can play an 8 on any card. When you do, you name the next suit, and the next player must follow that suit (or play another 8).
3. If you have no card you can play, draw from the stock, one card at a time, until you get one you can play. Then play it.
4. If the stock runs out, the discard pile (except its top card) is shuffled to make a new stock. If there is nothing left to draw, you pass.
5. Play goes around the table. On this site you always go first.

End of the game and scoring

The first player to empty their hand wins. The winner scores points for the cards left in the other hands: 50 for each 8, 10 for each King, Queen, Jack or 10, 1 for each Ace and face value for the other cards. In the rare case that no one can play or draw, the game is blocked and the hand with the fewest points wins.

Playing on this site

Cards you can play glow and stand up in your hand. Tap one to play it. When you play an 8, pick the new suit. When you must draw, tap the stock or the Draw button (or press D). Use the arrow keys and Enter to play with a keyboard. Undo takes back your last turn.

Strategy tips

• Save your eights. An 8 can always be played, so it is your way out of trouble. Use it when you have no other play, or to make your last card count.
• Name the suit you hold most. After an 8, choose the suit where you have the most cards. You will be able to keep playing while others may have to draw.
• Change the suit with a matching rank. If you are short of the current suit, play a card of the same rank in your strong suit to switch the game to it.
• Watch who draws. When a player draws, they had no card of that suit. Switch to that suit again when they are close to going out.
• Get rid of big cards early. Kings, Queens, Jacks and 10s cost 10 points each if someone else goes out first. Play them while you can.