Mau-Mau – Rules
Play Mau-Mau against the computer
1. Overview
Mau-Mau is Germany's best-known shedding game. In turn, everyone plays a card onto the discard pile that matches the top card in suit or rank. If you can't, you draw. Special cards make the next player draw, skip a turn, or let you wish for a suit. With one card left you call “Mau!”, when you play your last card “Mau-Mau!”.
| Other names | Mau Mau; internationally related to Crazy Eights |
| Players | 2 to 5 with one pack; from 6 players with two packs |
| Time | one round 3 to 10 minutes, a game 20 to 40 minutes |
| Age | 6 and up |
| Difficulty | very easy – ideal for children and beginners |
2. Goal
Be the first to get rid of all your cards. The first player to win 5 rounds wins the game.
3. What you need
- 32-card Skat pack: 7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen, king, ace in clubs, spades, hearts and diamonds.
- In the German pack the suits are acorns (= clubs), leaves (= spades), hearts and bells (= diamonds); the jack is called Unter, the queen Ober.
- Pen and paper only for the points variant.
4. Setup
- Choose the dealer: Whoever draws the highest card deals first. After that the deal passes clockwise.
- Shuffle and cut: The dealer shuffles, the player on the dealer's right cuts.
- Deal: Everyone gets 5 cards face down, one at a time clockwise, starting on the left. With two players everyone gets 6 cards.
- Draw pile: The remaining cards go face down in the middle.
- Starting card: The top card of the pile is turned face up next to it – it is the first card of the discard pile.
- Special card as starting card: With a 7 the first player draws 2 cards, with an 8 they skip, with a jack they may play any card.
- Start: The player left of the dealer begins.
[ Player 3 ]
[ Player 2 ] [▒ Draw pile] [Discard] [ Player 4 ]
[ Player 1 ]
5. Card values
There is no ranking when playing cards. Only suit or rank has to match the top card.
Special cards (standard):
| Card | Effect |
|---|---|
| 7 | The next player draws 2 cards – unless they play a 7 themselves. Then the player after them draws 4, after three sevens 6, and so on. |
| 8 | The next player skips a turn. |
| Jack | Fits on any card (except a jack). Whoever plays it wishes for a suit. |
Points for the points variant (count only as cards left in hand at the end of a round):
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Ace | 11 |
| 10 | 10 |
| King | 4 |
| Queen | 3 |
| Jack | 2 (20 in many families) |
| 9, 8, 7 | face value |
6. How to play
One turn – step by step
- If a special card from the previous player is on top, its effect applies first: draw or skip.
- Then you play one card that matches the top card in suit or rank. A jack always fits (except on a jack).
- If you can't or don't want to play, draw one card from the pile. If it fits, you may play it right away. Otherwise it's the next player's turn.
- After a jack the wished suit applies: the next player must play a card of that suit. They may not play a jack on it. If they can't, they draw.
- When you play your second-to-last card, call “Mau!”.
- When you play your last card, call “Mau-Mau!”. The round ends immediately.
| Situation | What you may do |
|---|---|
| Hearts 9 is on top | Play a heart, a nine or a jack – or draw. |
| A 7 is on top for you | Play your own 7 (pass it on) or draw the cards. |
| An 8 is on top for you | You skip your turn. |
| A jack wished for spades | Play a spade – or draw. |
Not allowed: playing more than one card per turn, playing a jack on a jack, going out with a jack (if your last card is a jack, you must draw).
7. Key terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Discard pile | The face-up pile in the middle; only the top card counts. |
| Draw pile | The face-down pile you draw from. |
| Match | Play a card of the same suit or rank. |
| Wish a suit | Whoever plays a jack decides which suit must be played next. |
| Skip | Miss one turn. |
| “Mau!” / “Mau-Mau!” | Call with your second-to-last or last card. |
| Win point | Goes to the winner of a round; first to 5 wins the game. |
8. End of the round & scoring
The first player with no cards left wins the round. There are no ties.
Standard: Every round won earns 1 win point. The first player with 5 win points wins the game.
Points variant: Everyone except the round winner counts the cards left in hand using the table in section 5 and writes them down as minus points.
- One column per player; the minus points are added up.
- Whoever first goes over the agreed limit (e.g. 100) has lost. The winner is the player with the fewest points at that moment.
9. Special cases
What happens when the draw pile is empty?
Shuffle the discard pile except the top card and turn it over as the new draw pile.
May I draw even though I could play?
Yes. Drawing is always allowed.
May I play a card I just drew?
Yes, if it fits. Then your turn is over.
What if I forget to say “Mau”?
If another player notices before the next player has played, you draw 2 penalty cards.
What if someone plays a wrong card?
The card goes back into their hand, they draw 1 penalty card and their turn is over.
May I go out with a 7?
Yes. In the points variant the next player still draws 2 cards – they count towards their cards left.
What does the 8 mean with two players?
Whoever plays an 8 takes another turn right away.
What if two players play at the same time?
Only the card of the player whose turn it is counts. If the deal goes wrong, shuffle and deal again.
10. Variants & house rules
Standard in this description: 7 = draw two (sevens may be stacked), 8 = skip, jack = wish a suit, no jack on a jack, no going out with a jack, game to 5 win points.
| Variant | What changes |
|---|---|
| Jack on jack | A jack may also be played on a jack. |
| Ace skips | An ace makes the next player skip (or the player goes again). |
| Change direction | A 9 (or the king) reverses the direction of play – good from 4 players. |
| Several equal cards | Cards of the same rank may be played together. |
| Jump in | Whoever holds exactly the same card may play it out of turn (with two packs). |
| No stacking sevens | No 7 may be played on a 7; always draw 2 – good for children. |
When you play against the computer on cardgames.zone, sevens may be stacked and jack on jack is not allowed.
11. Example round
Starting position. Player 2 deals 5 cards to everyone. The starting card is hearts 9. Player 3 sits to Player 2's left and begins, then Player 4, then Player 2.
- Player 3 plays hearts 7 (same suit). Player 4 would have to draw 2 cards – but he has a 7 himself.
- Player 4 plays spades 7 (same rank). Now Player 2 must draw 4 cards.
- Player 2 has no 7. He draws 4 cards, which ends his turn.
- Player 3 plays spades 8 (same suit). Player 4 skips.
- Player 2 plays the spades queen.
- A few turns later a queen is on top again. Player 3 has only hearts 10 and the diamonds queen left. He plays the diamonds queen (queen on queen) and calls “Mau!”.
- Player 4 plays the clubs jack and wishes for hearts – hoping Player 3 has no heart.
- Player 2 has the hearts king and plays it.
- Player 3 plays his last card, hearts 10, and calls “Mau-Mau!”. Player 3 wins the round and gets a win point.
12. Common mistakes
- Playing a jack on a jack. Not allowed under the standard rule.
- Going out with a jack. If your last card is a jack, you must draw.
- Forgetting “Mau”. That costs 2 penalty cards.
- Playing two cards after drawing. Only the drawn card may still be played – and only if it fits.
- Thinking the turn ends after drawing. If the drawn card fits, you may play it right away.
- Ignoring the wished suit. After a jack the wished suit counts, not the suit of the jack.
Tips for beginners: Keep jacks for emergencies. Use 7s and 8s against a player with only a few cards left. Wish for the suit you hold most of – and remember who had to draw: they are missing that suit.
Origin & history
Mau-Mau is one of the best-known card games in the German-speaking world and for many the first step into the world of cards. It is a shedding game for two to five people that works with a normal deck and whose basic rules can be explained in a few minutes. Anyone who has mastered Mau-Mau will quickly find their way in related shedding games such as Crazy Eights, because the principle – play matching cards, use special cards strategically – is the same.
It belongs to the 'Crazy Eights' family of shedding games, which was widespread in Europe and the USA in the 20th century. Established in Germany from the mid-20th century as a children’s and family game; the origin of the name is unclear.