Crazy Eights Rules
Crazy Eights is a shedding game for two to seven players with a standard 52-card pack. Get rid of all your cards first. Eights are wild.
8️⃣ Play it now: open Crazy Eights with 2 to 5 players.
Cards and deal
- One 52-card pack, no Jokers. Suits do not rank above each other.
- Deal 7 cards each with two players, 5 each with three or more.
- Turn one card face up to start the discard pile. If it is an 8, most rules bury it and turn another. The rest of the pack is the draw pile.
Playing a turn
Play one card from your hand onto the discard pile. It must match the top card in suit or rank, or be an 8. When you play an 8 you declare the suit that the next player has to match, whatever suit the 8 itself was.
Example: The top card is the 6 of hearts. You may play any heart, any 6, or any 8. If you play the 8 of clubs and call spades, the next player needs a spade or another 8.
When you cannot play
You must draw. In the most common rule you keep drawing until you pick up a playable card and then play it. Some groups draw just one card (or up to three) and pass if it does not fit. Cheettukali lets you choose between draw-until-playable and draw-one. When the draw pile is empty the discard pile is reshuffled, keeping the top card. If every player passes in a row, the round is blocked.
Winning a round and scoring
The first player to play their last card wins the round. Everyone else adds up the cards left in their hand as penalty points:
- Each 8 = 50 points
- King, Queen, Jack, 10 = 10 points each
- Ace = 1 point
- 2 to 9 = face value
Play several rounds. When a player reaches the target (50, 100 or 150) the game ends and the player with the lowest total wins. Another common way to score is to give the winner the points in everyone else's hands and play to a high total; Cheettukali uses the penalty-point version.
Strategy tips
- Do not waste 8s early. They are your escape when nothing else fits, and worth 50 points if you are caught holding them.
- Play high-value cards first. If someone goes out suddenly you will be holding less.
- Keep a spread of suits so that you can follow whatever suit comes.
- When you play an 8, call the suit you hold most cards of.
Variations
- Uno-style specials: in some homes 2s make the next player draw, Aces reverse and Queens skip. This is not part of the classic rules.
- Mau Mau is a close cousin in India and Germany, usually with Jacks as the wild cards.
- Switch and Black Jack are other names for card games with special action cards over the same base.
FAQ
Who goes first?
The player to the dealer's left. On Cheettukali the first player rotates each round.
Can the starting card be an 8?
On Cheettukali the starting card is never an 8; if one is turned up it is put back and another is drawn.
Why is an 8 worth 50 points?
Because it is the most useful card in the game. Penalising it heavily stops players from hoarding 8s to the end.