What Is Crazy Eights?
Crazy Eights is a card game for two or more players in which you match the top card of a discard pile by rank or by suit, and the first player to get rid of every card wins the hand. The four 8s are wild: an 8 goes on any card, and whoever plays it names the suit the next player must follow. You can play it free right here against the computer, with two to seven players at the table.
It needs only an ordinary 52-card deck, and UNO was built from it. Its rules change from one kitchen table to the next, so this page teaches the version our game plays and flags the common house rules as they come up.
| Players | 2 to 7 in our game (the table opens with 4: you and three computer players) |
|---|---|
| Deck | One 52-card deck, no jokers |
| Cards dealt | 5 each, or 7 each when only two play |
| Wild cards | The four 8s: an 8 goes on any card and its player names the suit |
| Goal | Be the first to play every card in your hand |
| Scoring | Everyone else adds the cards left in their own hand: 8 = 50, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 = 10, 2 to 9 face value, Ace = 1 |
| Game end | After the hand in which anyone reaches 200 points; the lowest total wins |
How to Play Crazy Eights
A hand of Crazy Eights takes six steps, and steps 3 to 5 go round the table until one player's hand is empty.
- Deal the cards. Shuffle one 52-card deck and deal 5 cards to each player, or 7 each if only two are playing.
- Turn up the starter. Stack the rest face down as the stock and turn its top card face up to start the discard pile. If that card is an 8, put it at the bottom of the stock and turn the next one.
- Match the top card. Starting with the player on the dealer's left, play one card that matches the top card by rank or by suit. On the 9 of clubs, any 9 or any club will do.
- Play an 8 to change the suit. An 8 goes on any card. Name a suit as you play it, and the next player must play that suit or another 8.
- Draw when you cannot or will not play. Take one card from the stock. If any card in your hand now fits, play it; if nothing fits, pass.
- Go out. The first player with no cards left wins the hand, and everyone else counts the cards they are still holding.
Our table opens with four players, you and three computer players, and the numbers 2 to 7 above the table change the count. You deal the first hand, so Player 2 plays first, and the deal moves one seat round the table with every new hand.
An Example Turn
Take the hand in the diagram. By your first turn the other three players have each played or drawn, and say the top card is now the 9 of clubs. Two of your cards fit: the 9 of hearts matches the rank, and the 8 of spades is wild. The 4 and King of hearts and the 3 of diamonds match nothing. Play the 9 of hearts. It turns the suit to hearts, where you hold two more cards, and it keeps the 8 back for a turn when nothing else fits.
How the Wild 8 Works
An 8 is always playable, on any card and on another 8. You name any of the four suits as you play it, the 8's own suit included, and the next player has to play that suit or another 8. The 8's own suit does not count unless you named it: after the 8 of spades with hearts named, a spade cannot follow. You may also go out on an 8, and it is often the best card to finish on, because an 8 still in your hand when someone else goes out costs 50 points.
The full crazy 8 rules cover the deal at every table size and the special cards many families add.
How Many Cards Do You Deal in Crazy Eights?
Deal 5 cards to each player, or 7 each when only two are playing. Our game uses one 52-card deck at every table size, and the table shows where all 52 cards go.
| Players | Cards each | Cards dealt | Starter | Stock | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 7 | 14 | 1 | 37 | 52 |
| 3 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 36 | 52 |
| 4 | 5 | 20 | 1 | 31 | 52 |
| 5 | 5 | 25 | 1 | 26 | 52 |
| 6 | 5 | 30 | 1 | 21 | 52 |
| 7 | 5 | 35 | 1 | 16 | 52 |
Many rule books shuffle two decks together, 104 cards, once more than five people play, and some families deal 8 cards each for a longer hand. Our game keeps one deck: even at seven players, 16 cards stay in the stock, and the discard pile is reshuffled whenever the stock runs out.
Crazy Eights for 2 Players
Two players get 7 cards each and 37 stay in the stock, and nothing else changes. If your family plays special cards, a skip with two players means you play again at once, and a reverse does nothing. Choose 2 above the table to play one computer opponent; you deal the first hand, so the computer plays first.
Drawing Cards and Running Out of Stock
In our game you draw one card per turn. You may draw instead of playing even when a card in your hand fits, but after the draw you must play if anything fits, the new card or an old one, and you pass only when nothing does.
Many rule books are harsher: you keep drawing until a card fits or the stock is gone. Others stop you after three draws. Agree on one before a game at home, because it changes how many cards a player can be caught holding.
When the stock runs out, the next draw turns every card in the discard pile except the top one into a new, shuffled stock. A hand can only get stuck when the stock is empty and the top card is the only one left in the discard pile. Then a player with nothing to play passes, and once every player has passed in a row, the hand ends and the player holding the fewest points takes it. Some rule books never reshuffle and score the hand as it stands once everyone is stuck; the rules for an empty stock compare the two.
Crazy Eights Scoring
Points in our game are penalties. When one player goes out, every other player counts the cards left in their own hand and adds that to a running total. The game ends after the hand in which anyone reaches 200, and the lowest total wins.
Each 850
King, Queen, Jack, 1010 each
2 to 9Face value
Ace1
Say you play your last card while the other three players still hold these:
| Player | Cards left | Points added |
|---|---|---|
| Player 2 | 8 of diamonds, King of clubs | 60 |
| Player 3 | 7 of spades, 2 of hearts, Ace of clubs | 10 |
| Player 4 | Queen of diamonds, 10 of spades, 5 of hearts | 25 |
| You | None: you went out | 0 |
Player 2 takes 60 points from two cards, and 50 of them come from one 8 held too long. The next hand keeps the running totals; New Game sets everyone back to 0.
Many rule books score the other way round: the player who goes out collects the points left in every other hand, and the first to a target wins. A common target is 50 points per player, so 200 for four. The card values stay the same either way, and the scoring rules set the two systems side by side.
Crazy Eights Strategy: Six Tips
Every hand you lose costs you the cards you are caught holding, so good play does two jobs: go out first, and when you cannot, get caught with little.
- Change suit with a rank match before you spend an 8. On the 9 of clubs, the 9 of hearts moves play to hearts just as an 8 would, and the 8 stays in your hand.
- Name the suit you hold most of. With the 4, 7, and King of hearts behind your 8, name hearts: three of your cards fit if the suit survives until your next turn.
- Keep one 8 back, but not to the end. An 8 is your only way out of a suit you do not hold, but one still in your hand when someone else goes out costs 50 points, five times a King. When an opponent is down to one or two cards, play it.
- Unload 10s and court cards early. Kings, Queens, Jacks, and 10s cost 10 points each if you are caught with them, and an Ace costs 1. Given two cards that fit, throw the 10-pointer.
- Do not draw when you can play. In our game a draw does not get you out of playing: if anything fits afterwards, you still have to play, one card heavier. And you cannot draw to protect an 8, because an 8 always fits.
- Read what the others show you. A player who names hearts with an 8 is likely to hold hearts, and a player who draws on the 6 of clubs had no club or 6 they wanted to play. When you name a suit, name one they have shown they lack.
Crazy Eights House Rules: 2s, 7s, Queens, and More
Our game has one special card, the 8. Most home games add more, and the same card can mean different things at different tables. These are the rules people ask about most, and none of them is part of our game:
| Card | Common house rule |
|---|---|
| 2 | The next player draws two cards unless they play another 2; each 2 added makes the draw two cards bigger |
| Queen | The next player misses a turn |
| Ace | The direction of play reverses |
| Jack or 4 | Used instead of the Queen to skip, or instead of the Ace to reverse |
| Queen of spades | The next player draws five cards |
| 7 | No power in Crazy Eights; in Mau-Mau, the German version, a 7 makes the next player draw two |
| Last card | Say "last card" when you have one left, or draw two cards |
The house rules section of our rules page explains each one, including what happens when a special card is the last card played, and the Crazy Eights variants there cover Countdown, Switch, and Mau-Mau.
Crazy Eights vs UNO
UNO is Crazy Eights played with a deck of its own, and it began at one family's table: Merle Robbins, an Ohio barber, played Crazy Eights with his family, and to end their arguments over its rules he wrote instructions on the cards themselves. The family began selling that game as UNO in 1971. The two still share a core: match the top card, use wild cards to change what must be matched, and go out first.
| Rule | Crazy Eights | UNO |
|---|---|---|
| Deck | A standard 52-card deck | Its own deck: 0 to 9 in four colors, plus action and wild cards |
| Cards dealt | 5 each, or 7 each for two players | 7 each |
| Match by | Rank or suit | Number, color, or symbol |
| Wild cards | The four 8s | Wild and Wild Draw Four cards |
| Action cards | None in the standard game | Skip, Reverse, and Draw Two in every color |
| Drawing | Often until you can play; one card in our game | One card, and only that card may be played |
| Last card | No call in the standard game | Call "UNO" or draw two cards |
| Scoring | 8s count 50, court cards 10 | Wild and Wild Draw Four cards count 50, action cards 20 |
One difference catches out UNO players: a Wild Draw Four may be played only when you hold no card of the color in play, but an 8 in Crazy Eights has no such limit. You can play it whenever it is your turn.
Crazy Eights FAQ
How do you play Crazy Eights step by step?
Deal 5 cards each, or 7 each for two players, and turn one card face up. In turn, play a card that matches the top card by rank or suit, or play an 8 and name a suit. If you cannot play, draw from the stock. The first player to empty their hand wins.
How many cards do you get with Crazy 8s?
You get 5 cards when three or more people play and 7 cards when only two play. The rest of the 52-card deck becomes the stock, apart from one card turned face up to start the discard pile. Some families deal 8 each, and big groups often shuffle in a second deck.
Can you play Crazy 8 with two people?
Yes. Each player gets 7 cards, 37 stay in the stock, and the other rules do not change. If you play special cards, a skip with two players simply gives you another turn, and a reverse does nothing. In our game, choose 2 above the table to play one computer opponent.
What does 7 mean in crazy 8 rules?
Nothing special. In Crazy Eights, and in our game, a 7 is an ordinary card that matches by rank or suit and costs 7 points if you are caught holding it. A 7 that makes the next player draw two belongs to Mau-Mau, the German version of the game.
Do you pick up 2 in Crazy 8?
Only if your group plays the draw-two house rule. Under it, a 2 makes the next player draw two cards unless they play another 2, and each 2 added passes a bigger draw along. The standard game has no such rule, and in our game a 2 is an ordinary card.
What does Queen of Spades mean in Crazy Eights?
Nothing in the standard game, where the Queen of spades is an ordinary card worth 10 penalty points. A common house rule turns it into a heavy draw card: the next player picks up five cards. Some groups also let any Queen skip the next player. Our game uses neither rule.
Why is it called Crazy Eights?
Because the 8s are wild: an 8 goes on any card and lets its player change the suit. The card historian David Parlett dates the game, as plain Eights, to the 1930s. Game books date the word crazy to the 1940s and link it to Section 8, the US military discharge for soldiers judged mentally unfit.
Can you play an 8 on another 8?
Yes. An 8 goes on any card, another 8 included, and you name a new suit as you play it. The suit named with the first 8 stops counting. You may even name the same suit again, which holds the next player to it for one more turn.
Can you end on an 8?
Yes. The standard rules allow it and so does our game, and an 8 makes a strong last card because it fits on anything. In our game you still name a suit, although the hand ends at once. Some families forbid going out on an 8, so settle that before a home game starts.
Do you have to draw until you can play?
Not in our game: you draw one card per turn. If anything in your hand fits after the draw, you must play it; if nothing fits, you pass. Many rule books do make you keep drawing until a card fits or the stock runs out, which makes hands longer and penalty totals bigger.
How to win Crazy 8 every time?
Nobody wins every time, because the deal decides a lot. You win more often by changing suit with a rank match before you spend an 8, naming the suit you hold most of, and throwing 10-point cards early, so that the hands you lose cost you as little as possible.
What are some variations of Crazy 8s?
Most add special cards: 2s make the next player draw, Queens skip a turn, and Aces reverse direction. Crazy Eights Countdown deals 8 cards and gives each player a wild rank that drops each time they go out. Switch, Mau-Mau, and UNO are close relatives with special cards of their own.
Play Crazy Eights Free
Play in your browser against one to six computer players, with the cards you can play highlighted and every penalty point counted for you. Every hand, and every reshuffle of the stock, comes from a seed fixed before the first card is dealt, which you can check on our provably fair page. Challenge a Friend sends a link that replays the same deal at the default four-player table.
The Crazy Eights daily challenge deals everyone the same cards at a four-player table, hand after hand; win the game to post your result. Or browse every card game we host.