Crazy Eights

Setup

• Players: two or more. Our practice table is you against one bot.
• Deck: one standard 52-card deck.
• Your hand: seven cards each with two players, five with more.
• The pile: the next card is turned up to start the discard pile. The rest is the stock.

How to play

1. 1Match the top card. Play a card of the same rank or the same suit as the top of the discard pile.
2. 2Eights are wild. An 8 goes on anything. Name a suit; the next card must be that suit or another 8.
3. 3Or draw one. Instead of playing, draw one card from the stock. Your turn is over.
4. 4Empty stock. Shuffle the discards, all but the top card, into a new stock.
5. 5Go out. Play your last card to win the hand, and score what the other hand holds.

Winning

The first to empty their hand scores the cards left in the other hand. The deal alternates, and the first to the target wins.

Scoring

Our Classic rules: one card per draw, and the drawn card waits for your next turn. Many families let you play it straight away, or draw until you can play.

Key terms

Discard pile:

The face-up pile in the middle. You match its top card.

Stock:

The face-down pile you draw from.

Match:

Same rank or same suit as the top card.

Wild 8:

An 8 goes on anything. You name the suit that comes next.

Name a suit:

Choose the suit the next player must follow after your 8.

Go out:

Play your last card. You score the cards left in other hands.

Blocked:

Nobody can play or draw. The smaller hand scores the difference.