Crazy Eights – Rules
Play Crazy Eights against the computer
1. Overview
| Name | Crazy Eights |
| Type | Shedding game – get rid of your cards |
| Players | 2 to 7, best with 3 to 5 |
| Recommended age | 6 and up |
| Playing time | one hand 3–5 minutes; a game 20–40 minutes |
| Material | 52 cards, pen and paper |
| Goal | Be first to get rid of all your cards; over several hands collect as few penalty points as possible. |
| Difficulty | very easy |
What is it about? Crazy Eights is the English-speaking cousin of Mau-Mau. You play cards onto a discard pile when the suit or rank matches. The eights are “crazy”: they always fit, and whoever plays one may name the next suit. The first player with no cards left wins the hand.
2. Cards and material
- Pack: 52 French cards without jokers.
- Suits and ranks: All that matters is whether suit or rank matches. There is no ranking.
- Eights: The game's wild cards – they fit on any card.
- Penalty points for cards left in hand:
| Card | Penalty points |
|---|---|
| Eight | 50 |
| Jack, queen, king | 10 |
| 2 to 10 (except 8) | face value |
| Ace | 1 |
- Face up and face down: Hand cards concealed, discard pile face up, stock face down.
- Extra material: Pen and paper.
3. Preparation and start
- Shuffle: The dealer shuffles.
- Deal: Everyone gets 5 cards (with two players 7).
- Discard: The next card is turned face up. If it's an eight, it is shuffled back into the stock and a new one is turned up.
- Start: The player left of the dealer begins.
Start example: Player 2 deals 5 cards to everyone and turns up the 6 of hearts. Player 3 sits to his left and begins.
4. Goal and winning
- Hand: The first player with no cards left wins the hand.
- Game: The others write down their remaining cards as penalty points. When someone reaches 100 penalty points, the game ends; whoever has the fewest points wins.
- Tie: Players with equally few points share the win.
5. Play in detail
A turn.
- Play one card onto the discard pile that matches the top card in suit or rank.
- Eight: always fits. Whoever plays it names a suit. The next player must play that suit (or an eight).
- Can't (or won't) play: Draw a card from the stock. If it fits, you may play it at once; otherwise the next player goes.
Stock empty. When the stock runs out, the discard pile except the top card is shuffled to form a new stock.
Example with Players 1 to 4. Order: Player 3, 4, 1, 2. The 6 of hearts is on top.
- Player 3 plays the king of hearts (same suit).
- Player 4 plays the king of spades (same rank). Now spades are called for.
- Player 1 has no spades and no king, but he has the 8 of diamonds. He plays it and names clubs, because he holds many clubs.
- Player 2 has no clubs and no eight. He draws a card: the 3 of clubs. It fits – he plays it at once.
- Player 3 has no clubs, but he has the 3 of spades: same rank, that's allowed. Now spades are called for.
6. Scoring
| Card left | Penalty points |
|---|---|
| Eight | 50 |
| Face cards (J, Q, K) | 10 |
| Number cards | face value |
| Ace | 1 |
- Recording: One column per player; each hand's penalty points are added up.
- Variant: The hand winner scores the total of everyone else's cards as plus points; first to a target total wins.
7. Special rules and situations
- Last card an eight: Allowed – you go out with it.
- Two players: Everyone gets 7 cards.
- Draw until you can (variant): A player who can't play keeps drawing until they get a playable card.
- Stock and discards exhausted: If nobody can play, the hand ends; whoever holds the fewest penalty points wins it.
- Wrong card: Take it back and draw a penalty card.
- Common mistakes: using eights too early; naming a suit you don't hold yourself.
8. Variants
Standard in this description: 5 cards (7 with two), draw one card if you can't play, game to 100 penalty points.
| Variant | What changes | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Draw until you can | Keep drawing until you can play. | longer hands |
| Special cards | Two: next draws 2; queen: next is skipped; ace: reverse direction. | like Mau-Mau |
| 200 or 50 points | Longer or shorter game. | depending on time |
| Two packs | For 6 or more players. | large groups |
When playing against the computer on cardgames.zone you play with 2 to 6 players to 50, 100 or 200 penalty points; a player who can't play draws one card or keeps drawing until they can.
9. Tips for beginners
- Save eights: An eight rescues you when nothing else fits.
- Name wisely: Name the suit you hold the most of.
- High cards early: Face cards and eights cost many penalty points at the end.
- Switch by rank: With the same rank you can change the suit without using an eight.
- Watch others: Whoever had to draw probably lacks the suit called for.
- Near the end: If someone has only one card left, switch to a suit they probably don't have.
- Don't draw too much: If you can play, it's usually better to play.
10. Summary in 10 steps
- 52 cards, 5 each (7 with two).
- One card face up as the discard.
- The player left of the dealer starts.
- Play a card of the same suit or rank.
- Eights always fit.
- Whoever plays an eight names a suit.
- Can't play: draw a card.
- If the drawn card fits, it may be played.
- The first player without cards wins the hand.
- Cards left are penalty points; at 100 the game ends.
11. Frequently asked questions
Is Crazy Eights the same as Mau-Mau?
Almost. In Crazy Eights only the eight is a special card; Mau-Mau has several.
May I play an eight although I have a matching card?
Yes. You may always play an eight.
Must I play if I can?
No. You may also draw voluntarily.
May I go out with an eight?
Yes.
What if the stock runs out?
The discard pile (except the top card) is shuffled and used as a new stock.
How long does a game take?
About 20 to 40 minutes to 100 penalty points.
Origin & history
Crazy Eights is the American basic form of a worldwide family of shedding games and is documented since the 1930s.