Match the pile, empty your hand
Crazy Eights is a : the first player to get rid of every card wins the round. On your turn you play one card that the top of the pile. Every 8 is .
Friendly for kids and mixed groups.
At a glance
Setup
One deck, no jokers
Use a standard 52-card deck with the jokers taken out. Two to five players can play; with more, shuffle two decks together.
Pick a dealer and shuffle.
The deal
Five cards each
Deal one card at a time, face down, until everyone has five. With only two players, deal seven each.
Pick up your cards and keep them hidden. The rest of the deck goes face down in the middle: that is the .
Turn up the starter
Turn the top card of the stock face up next to it. This begins the .
If the starter is an 8, slide it back into the middle of the stock and turn up the next card.
A turn
Match the suit or the rank
The player left of the dealer starts, then play goes clockwise. On your turn, play one card that matches the top card by suit or by rank.
The pile shows the 7 of clubs. You could play the 7 of hearts (same rank), the king of clubs (same suit) or the 8 of spades (wild). Point at the table to see why.
Play it on the pile
You play the king of clubs. Now the next player has to match a club or a king.
Saving your 8 is usually smart: it gets you out of trouble when nothing else fits.
Can’t play? Draw
If you can’t match, draw from the stock one card at a time until you can play, then play that card. You may also draw even when you could play.
West has no club and no king. They draw the 10 of spades (no good), then the 6 of clubs, and play it.
If the stock runs out, keep the top card of the discard pile, shuffle the rest into a new stock and carry on. Some tables simply pass instead.
The stock is patient. You, less so.
Special cards
The 8 is wild
An 8 can go on any card. When you play it, you name a suit, any suit, and the next player must follow that suit or play another 8.
North plays the 4 of clubs and East the 3 of clubs. You match the rank with your 3 of diamonds, and the others follow with diamonds. Now the pile shows the 6 of diamonds and nothing in your hand matches. You play the 8 of spades and say “hearts”, because you are holding hearts.
Last card
With one card left, many tables expect you to say “last card” before the next player takes their turn. Forget, and you draw two cards as a penalty.
The others follow your hearts: West the 4, North the 10, East the king. You play the 7 of hearts and say “last card!”, holding just the queen of hearts.
Say it before anyone notices.
Scoring
Going out, and counting up
West draws and plays the 6 of hearts, North plays the ace of hearts, and East draws and plays the 2 of hearts. Your queen of hearts matches: you . The round ends and you score the cards everyone else is still holding:
| Each 8 | 50 |
| King, queen, jack, 10 | 10 |
| Ace | 1 |
| 2 to 9 | face value |
Here: West 34 (9, jack, 5, 10), North 50 (an 8) and East 15 (queen, 5). You score 99.
Winning
Play to a target
Shuffle, pass the deal to the left and play again. Keep a running total for each player; the first to reach the target your table agrees on, for example 100 or 500 points, wins the game.
Short on time? Play single rounds: whoever goes out wins.
Point at a dot to see why it matters
Variants and house rules
- Special cards
- Many tables add powers: a queen makes the next player miss a turn, an ace reverses direction, and a 2 makes the next player draw two unless they play a 2 too. With these rules the game is often called Switch, Mau-Mau or Pesten.
- Draw limit
- Instead of drawing until you can play, draw a fixed number of cards (for example one, or up to three) and pass if none of them fits.
- Crazy Eights Countdown
- Everyone starts with a score of 8 and eight cards. Each time you empty your hand, your score drops by one and you are dealt that many new cards. Your wild card is the rank of your score (8, then 7, and so on). First to reach zero wins.
Tips from the table
- Keep an 8 for when you are stuck, rather than playing it the first chance you get.
- When you play an 8, name the suit you hold the most of.
- Get rid of high cards early: a king left in your hand costs 10, a 3 only 3.
Crazy Eights: quick answers
How many cards do you deal in Crazy Eights?
Five cards each. With only two players, deal seven each.
What does an 8 do in Crazy Eights?
Every 8 is wild. You can play it on any card and name the suit the next player must follow.
What happens if you cannot play in Crazy Eights?
Draw from the stock one card at a time until you can play. If the stock runs out, shuffle the discard pile (except its top card) into a new stock.
How do you score Crazy Eights?
The player who goes out scores the cards left in the other hands: 50 for each 8, 10 for each picture card or 10, 1 for an ace and face value for the rest.
Decks we like
The classic
Bicycle Standard
The deck most people picture. Poker size, standard faces, shuffles well. If you buy one deck, make it this.
Every game hereFamiliesBuy now ↗on Amazon
Lasts for years
Copag 1546 plastic, double deck
Two 100% plastic decks in a hard case. Washable and hard to bend, and a double deck is what Canasta and Spider need.
CanastaRummyGame nightsBuy now ↗on Amazon
Easy to read
Bicycle Jumbo Index
Extra-large numbers and suits. Readable across the table, for kids learning their first game and grandparents alike.
KidsOlder playersBuy now ↗on Amazon
The British classic
Waddingtons No. 1
The pack found in British homes for generations. Paper cards with a linen finish that fan and shuffle smoothly.
WhistCribbageFamiliesBuy now ↗on Amazon
The gift
theory11 Monarchs
A luxury deck with a navy and gold tuck box. The one to give, or to bring out when the good whisky is poured.
GiftsCollectorsBuy now ↗on Amazon
Other shedding games
All games →- Shedding · Easy
Cheat
Play cards face down, claim what they are, and call out the liars.
3 to 8 players · 20 min · 8+ - Shedding · Easy
President
Beat the last play, empty your hand, climb from beggar to president.
4 to 7 players · 20 min · 8+ - Shedding · Easy
Speed
No turns: play one higher or lower as fast as your hands can move.
2 players · 5 min · 6+