Sometimes there's nothing like pulling out a deck of cards and playing a game with family or friends. With so many card games out there you're sure to find one that's perfect for you. You can mix it up by learning how to play Crazy Eights and other classic card games so you'll never run out of different games to play. So whether you're at the beach, sitting at the dinner table, or just trying to pass the time, be sure to have a deck of cards with you. They can offer hours of amusement.
If you're interested in this classic, though, you'll need to learn how to play Crazy Eights. As with any card game, there will be a slight learning curve. But, once you get used to it, you and your friends can play it as often as you desire.
Card games were especially popular during and immediately after the great depression. For families that lived in the northern United States where snow would make going outside difficult, sitting inside around the fire and playing card games proved a valuable form of entertainment. Crazy Eights is a card game that first came out during the 1930s, so it's been around more than 80 years. Originally, it was just known as Eights. However, in the 1940s, it became known as Crazy Eights. It took on this name because of its popularity in the military. Individuals discharged from the army for being 'mentally unstable' were known as Section 8s, or Crazy 8s. As playing cars in the military during the Second World War become popular, it took on the name Crazy Eights.
Crazy Eights is a great game to introduced kids to the world of card games. CrankyApe.com is an online auction company specializing in the remarketing of bank repossessed, insurance repairable and consignment recreational vehicles. Weekly auctions include ATV's, Snowmobiles, Watercraft, Cars, RV's, Campers, Trailers, Motorcycles, etc.
Different Names
Today, the game goes by several names, and each name comes with slightly different rules. There is one popular version that also comes with its own deck. Some of these variations with different names includes Last One, Rockaway, Switch, Last Card, Screw Your Neighbor, Swedish Rummy, and Craits. Another version called Mau-Mau can get especially odd, as the players can make up new rules as the game progresses.
The popular card game Uno, which uses its own deck, is one variation of the game, although as it has a different deck and some slightly different rules it is a more extreme version of Crazy Eights. While Uno is its own game and comes with its own rule, we recommend it to learn how to play Crazy Eights first and then, when desired learn how to play the other versions
To learn how to play Crazy Eights you'll want to start with the right number of players. It is easiest to play when there is an even number of players. Playing with three or five players makes it a challenge based on how the cards are split up although you may add in a second deck when this is the case to help increase the number of cards.
Once you have everyone sitting at the table, you'll want to deal eight cards to each player. If you are playing with just you and another player you'll only deal seven cards to each player. To continue on with how to play Crazy Eights you'll then take the remaining cards in the deck and place them face down on the table. Position it in the center of the table to make it easy for everyone to have access to.
With the deck in the center of the table, take the card on the top of the deck and flip it over. This becomes the start of the game and is the play suit and number.
The next player after the dealer (clockwise) will then play a card in their hand that either matches the number or the suit of the card that was flipped over. They can also play an 8. The 8 is a wild card. This means an 8 can be played and when the player has neither the suit nor the number. However, if they have a suit or number that matches the card that's in play, those other cards must be played first.
If an 8 is played due to not having any other cards that match the number or the suit, the player laying down the card must call out a suit for the next player to play. The clockwise player must now play the named suit. If a player is unable to play a card that matches the suit and they don't have an 8, they need to draw from the deck. They need to continue drawing from the deck until they have a card that is playable.
This continues on until someone no longer has any cards remaining. This completes the hand. If the entire deck is used and the game is still in play, the dealer then picks up the discarded cards, shuffle these back up, and use this as the draw deck. The last played card should remain out so the next player knows what they need to play off of.
Points
When the hand is done, players will need to score the hand. In Crazy Eights, cards are valued as the number of the card, except for 8s. An 8 is worth 50, and all face cards (also known as court cards) are worth 10. The points of each player are added up and given to the player that won the hand. Before starting the game, the players will decide what the winning number of points is. Typically, when playing with two players the winning amount is 100 points.
When playing with four players the winning value is typically 200 points, and 300 points for six players. Although, it is possible to select any number prior to the start of the game. While it is easier to play with an even number of players, it is possible to play with odd players. The deck will not be split evenly if there is an odd number of players in the game, which is why some prefer not to play it without an even number of players. However, for those who are looking to play with larger groups it is recommended to bring in a second deck.
If you want to add additional cards to the deck without bringing in a secondary deck, you can use the joker card. The Joker card is often used in different ways in different versions of the game. There are basic alterations to the game you can take advantage of after you have learned how to play Crazy Eights.
Aces
With this version, if an ace is played it allows the individual to call out a different suit of their choosing. However, the ace can still only be played as normal if it matches a current ace or the current suit. It gives more power to the player to switch what's in play and keeps all the other players on their toes. It also changes strategy with what might be played. The Ace, after all, is only worth one point, so it is often the card is more likely to be saved until the end. However, with this feature, the ace might be used sooner, causing a player to hold on to cards that are more valuable for the winner.
Uno Rules
Another variation is a pick-up-2 feature. This works like the 'Draw 2' card in Uno. If someone plays the 2 then the next player is forced to pick up two cards. However, these cards can also be stacked. This means if one player plays a 2 and the second player plays a 2 (after picking up his or her own two cards), the third player is then forced to pick up four cards. Again, like the Ace, it adds additional power to a low card that might normally be held until the end.
On top of this, anything can be used as this draw feature. For example, the 4 can be used for a draw four cards if you want to play with this version. There is no limit to how you can vary and alter the game once you've learned how to play Crazy Eights.
Mau-Mau
With a little creativity, one can learn to play Mau-Mau. With this variation, each player who wins a hand gets to make up a new rule and hold the other players to that rule without telling them what it is. As the game progresses, the rules become stacked, such that just remembering all the rules becomes almost as burdensome as trying to figure out the new one. Rules can be as simple as 'when a jack is played, reverse the direction of play' or 'when the five of hearts is played, each player passes his/her hand to the player on the right.' The only limit is your imagination.
When learning how to play Crazy Eights, it's a straightforward game. It's easy to learn, fun to play, and doesn't take long to get the hang of. It's also a game you can play with nothing else but a deck of cards and some friends. Whatever you do, once you know how to play Crazy Eights, be sure to have fun!
In Crazy Eights, playing an 8 card will change the current suit of the game. | |
| Type | Shedding |
|---|---|
| Players | 2+ |
| Skills required | Tactics and communication |
| Cards | 52 (Originally 28) |
| Deck | French |
| Play | Clockwise and counter-clockwise |
| Playing time | Various |
| Random chance | Medium |
| Related games | |
| Mau Mau, Uno | |
Crazy Eights is a shedding-typecard game for two to seven players. The object of the game is to be the first player to discard all of their cards. The game is similar to Switch and Mau Mau.[1]
Originally this was played primarily by children with the left over cards not used in Euchre. Now a standard 52-card deck is used when there are five or fewer players. When there are more than five players, two decks are shuffled together and all 104 cards are used.
Origins[edit]
The game first appeared as Eights in the 1930s,[1] and the name Crazy Eights dates to the 1940s, derived from the United States military designation for discharge of mentally unstable soldiers, Section 8.[2][3]
There are many variations of the basic game, under names including Craits, Last Card, Mau-Mau, Switch, and Black Jack. Bartok, Mao, Taki, and Uno add further elements to the game.
David Parlett describes Crazy Eights as 'not so much a game as a basic pattern of play on which a wide variety of changes can be rung,' noting that players can easily invent and explore new rules.[1]
Basic play[edit]
Five cards are dealt to each player (or seven in a two-player game).[4] The remaining cards of the deck are placed face down at the center of the table as the stock pile. The top card is then turned face up to start the game as the first card in the discard pile.
Players discard by matching rank or suit with the top card of the discard pile, starting with the player left of the dealer. They can also play any 8 at any time, which allows them to declare the suit that the next player is to play; that player must then follow the named suit or play another 8. If a player is unable to play, that player draws cards from the stock pile until a play can be made, or until the stock pile is exhausted. If the player cannot play when the stock pile is exhausted, that player must pass the turn to the player on the left. A player may draw from the stock pile at any time, even when holding one or more playable cards.[5]
As an example: Once 6♣ is played the next player:
Crazy Eights Online
- can play 6♦, 6♥ or 6♠
- can play any club
- can play any 8 (then must declare a suit)
- can draw from the stockpile and continue their turn
If the stock pile runs out, all played cards except for the top one are reshuffled to form a new stock.[4]
The game ends as soon as one player has emptied their hand. That player collects a payment from each opponent equal to the point score of the cards remaining in that opponent's hand. 8s score 50, court cards 10 and all other cards face value. If the players run out of cards in the deck, the player with the lowest point score in their hand scores the difference between that hand and each opponent's hand.[1]
The game can end with a special card, this includes two, queen or eight(wild) card.
The winner of the game is the first player to reach a specific number of points. For two players it is 100 points, three players 150, four 200, five 250, six 300 and for seven players 350.
Variations[edit]
Card game historian John McLeod describes Crazy Eights as 'one of the easiest games to modify by adding variations',[4] and many variant rules exist. Common rules applied to cards include:
- Queens skip
- Playing a Queen causes the next player to miss their turn.[4]
- Aces reverse direction
- Playing an Ace reverses the direction of play.[4]
- Draw 2
- Playing a two forces the next player to draw two cards, unless they can play another two. Multiple twos 'stack'; if a two is played in response to a two, the next player must draw four.[4]
A popular variant of the game in the United States is Crazy Eights Countdown, where players start with a score of 8. A player's score determines how many cards they are dealt at the start of each round, and which rank of card is wild for them. (So initially, all players are dealt eight cards and 8s are wild for everyone; after one round, one player will be dealt seven cards and 7s will be wild for them, but 8s will be wild for everyone else.) The first player to reduce their score to zero wins the game.[4]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Crazy Eights
- ^ abcdParlett, David (1996). Oxford Dictionary of Card Games. Oxford University Press. p. 291. ISBN0-19-869173-4.
- ^Rauf, Don (2013). Simple rules for card games : instructions and strategy for twenty card games (1st ed.). New York: Potter Style. p. 25. ISBN978-0-7704-3385-7.
- ^Rome, Ben H.; Hussey, Chris (2013). Games' most wanted : the top 10 book of players, pawns, and power-ups (1st ed.). University of Nebraska Press. ISBN978-1-59797-723-4.
- ^ abcdefg'Crazy Eights - Card Game Rules'. www.pagat.com.
- ^'How to Play Crazy Eights,' Bicycle, 2020, https://bicyclecards.com/how-to-play/crazy-eights/#:~:text=If%20unable%20to%20play%2C%20cards,exhausted%2C%20the%20player%20must%20pass.&text=That%20is%2C%20an%20eight%20may,(but%20never%20a%20number).