You’ve likely played the game of Crazy 8s, maybe even with a messed-up set of rules made up on the fly. It’s a shedding card game classic, as the adaptive coloring of a chameleon and twice as entertaining. So buckle up, because this game is about to become your go-to game.
Aim – You want the lowest score while another player attains 100 or more points.
Number of Participants – Between 2 – 10 players
Materials for Crazy 8s – Classic 52-card deck (2 decks for 5+ players)
Type of Game – Card Game
Audience – All age groups
Game Rules of Crazy Eights
Crazy 8s is a delightful card game where players aim to get rid of all their cards. You may recognize this traditional card game by other names such as Swedish Rummy or Eights. Irrespective of the name, all you need is a conventional 52-card deck for a group of 5 or fewer players. If you have more players, just add another deck. We’ll guide you through the gameplay, explain all the Crazy 8s card game rules, and even tell you about a couple of the winning strategies. So without further ado let’s begin!
The Aim
The crazy 8s card game aims to become the initial player to throw out all your cards or to have the least points if you’re playing several rounds.
How Does the Scoring Function in Crazy 8s?
In regards to scoring and card values, the aim is to be the initial player to get rid of all their cards and triumph in the game. The succeeding player then gathers points from each of the other players depending on the leftover cards in their hands. The following is how the scoring functions:
- Every 8-card is valued at 50 points.
- Every 10, J, Q, or K card is worth 10 points.
- Every A is valued at 1 point.
- For all the other cards, their point value is identical to the number mentioned on it which signifies that they are equal to their face value.
Setup of the Gameplay
Shuffling & Dealing – To begin a game of Crazy 8s, you’ll be required to begin by thoroughly shuffling a classic 52-card deck. Once it’s well blended, start by dealing the cards to the players. The dealing procedure begins with the player positioned on your left, and you’ll distribute 8 cards to every player, one card at a time. Remember that if there are just 2 players, deal 7 cards to each instead of the standard 8. If you’ve got upwards of 5 players, just merge 2 decks to have enough cards for all.
Setting Up the Draw Pile – Once all players have their 8 cards, the leftover cards have to be placed facing down in the middle of the playing area. This pile of cards is renowned as the draw heap. It’s where you’ll draw from if you can’t play a card from your hand similar to what we do in UNO. So, ensure that it’s easily available to all players.
Starting the Discard Pile – Now, it’s time to begin the discard lot. To do this, just flip over the top card from the draw lot and place it next to the draw cards, facing up. This presented card becomes the discard lot’s beginning card. However, if by any possibility an 8 card shows up as the first draw heap card, just reshuffle and choose a new beginning card.
How to Play Crazy 8s
Matching Cards – The core Crazy 8s card game rules move around matching cards. To play a card, you have to either match the suit (Diamond, Spades, Clubs, Hearts) or the rank (like Ace, 4, King, 10, etc) with the top card on the discard lot. Place your matching card facing up on the discard lot, and then it’s the ensuing player’s turn. In most card games, including Crazy Eights, the player seated to the left of the dealer goes first after the cards are dealt. Now, here’s the spin – 8s are wild cards in this game. When you play an eight, you get to proclaim the fresh suit. However, a couple of versions of the game don’t permit you to end your turn with an eight.
Drawing Cards – If you can’t play any of the cards in your hand as they don’t match the suit or the rank of the top card on the discarded lot, you’ll be required to draw cards from the draw lot until you get one you can play. Once you draw a playable card, play it and then your turn advances as normal. Remember that a few players have particular rules about how many cards you can draw per turn, which can differ depending on player preferences.
Play One Card at a Time – The game proceeds with players taking turns playing 1 card at a time, following the matching mandates. After the player to the left of the dealer goes, the ensuing player to the left takes their turn, and so on. This pattern follows, with players either throwing a card that matches or drawing till they can. The game only concludes when a player fruitfully gets rid of all the cards in the hand.
Crazy Eights Card Game Variations
Crazy 8s is a game that has tons of variants, alternatives, and house rules, so feel free to alter your game with any of these famous rules variants.
Draw Limit – If you don’t have a correct card to play on your turn, you draw a maximum of five cards.
Bigger Deal – Elevate the number of cards dealt to the players at the start of the game. For instance, deal 8 or 6 cards to each player instead of 5.
Larger Two-Player Beginning Hands – If playing with just 2 players, deal 7 cards to every player at the start of each hand.
Last Card Warning – In this variant, any player who has just one card left in their hand has to say a certain phase or word. This could be the ‘last card’ or ‘one’ or any other words selected by the group.
High Score Wins – in this variation of Crazy 8s, the successor of each hand earns the points left in all the other players’ hands. Thus, the successor of the game is the player who initially attains a merged score of 100 or more points.
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More Unique Cards
Other cards besides eights can be offered distinctive abilities. You can include any or all of the below mentioned in your games:
Aces Reverse Direction – Playing an Ace card can reverse the direction of play. So, if the game was heading in the clockwise direction, it now heads in the counterclockwise direction. This can lead to fascinating changes in the course of the game and keep the players on the edges of their seats.
Queens Skip – In this variation, playing a Queen card causes the ensuing player to miss their turn. It includes a twist to the game by introducing instances of strategic play when determining when to play your Queen cards.
Crazy 8s Countdown – This is a famous variant of the card game in the U.S. In this version, players begin with a score of eight. The score decides the number of cards they are dealt at the start of each round and which card rank is wild for them. For instance, if a player’s score is 7, sevens become wild for them, but eights stay wild for everyone else. The aim is to be the initial player to lower their score to 0, and they win the game.
Draw 2 – When a 2 is played, it forces the ensuing player to draw 2 cards, unless they can play another 2. This rule can lead to accumulating effects, where multiple 2s are played in succession, demanding the ensuing player to draw even more cards. However, if the game concludes on a distinctive card, its rule isn’t applied.
Winning Crazy 8s
While playing just a single hand of Crazy 8s, the successor is the initial player who fruitfully rids their hand of all cards.
While playing to a set score over several hands, the game concludes when 1 player attains a score of 100 points or more. The successor of the game is the player who has the lowest sum score.
Instance – In a 4-player game, Rohan has earned a sum of 112 points after a round. Since her score goes over 100 points, the game has now ended. The players’ scores are as mentioned below:
Rohan – 112 points
Ishan – 51 points
Riva – 64 points
Jiya – 72 points
Ishan wins since he has the lowest score.
Card Game Rules of Crazy Eights
- Card Distribution – Every player is dealt either 5 or 7 cards in a 2-player game. This forms their beginning hand.
- Stockpile – The leftover cards from the deck are placed facing down in the middle of the table, creating the stockpile.
- Beginning the Discard Pile – To start the game, the top card from the stockpile is turned facing up and placed on the table as the initial card in the discard lot.
- Matching & Discarding – Beginning with the player to the left of the dealer, players take turns. They can throw a card from their hand by either matching the suit (matching a heart with a heart) or a rank (matching a seven with a seven) to that of the card on top of the throw heap.
- The Power of 8s – Players can play any eight cards at any point. When an 8 is played, the player announces the suit that the ensuing player has to follow, or they can play another 8 and select a separate suit.
- Jokers (If Included) – If you’re playing with Jokers, they perform as blank cards. The player following a Joker card can play any card on top of it.
- Winning a Round – The round concludes when a player successfully gets rid of all the cards in their hand.
- Scoring – After 1 player wins a round, the leftover players count the points in their hands. The points go to the successor. You can set a target score to triumph in the game. A usual beginning point is 50 points for each player in the game. For example, in a 2-player game, the initial to get 100 points succeeds. In a 3-player game, it’s the first to 150 points, and so on.
The Crazy 8s Card Game Strategies
Now that we understand the game rules of Crazy 8s, it’s time to learn a few strategies that can assist you in mastering the game.
Selecting the New Suit with 8s – When you play an eight, you have the power to select the fresh suit. You can use this strategically by either choosing the suit in which you have the majority of cards, offering you more alternatives to play in subsequent turns, or selecting a suit in which you know your competitors have fewer cards. You can frequently lower their card count in a suit by keeping in mind the last time they had to select a card of that suit.
Suit Matching vs. Rank Matching – In the majority of cases, it’s a great idea to prioritize matching the rank of the card on the throw pile before matching the suit. However, this mandate isn’t set in stone. Based on the cards in your hand and the present game situation, there might be instances when matching the suit is a better strategic move. Review your alternatives carefully, as one choice may be more beneficial than the other depending on your hand and the cards in play.
Playing High Cards First – When you’re matching a suit and aiming for points, it’s normally an intelligent move to play your higher-ranked cards in that suit first. This can compel your competitors to play their valuable cards or draw from the draw heap, potentially collecting more points. Save your lower-ranked cards in that suit for later can offer you an advantage.
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Tips for the Crazy 8s Card Game
- Pursue the wildcard with the suit that’s most usual in your hand. If you have a ton of cards in a certain suit, others may have fewer of that suit. Beginning a round of play with that suit might make it tough for others to match what you’ve placed down.
- Choose to match rank before you match suit. This sets you up for a win on the ensuing turn. The odds of you being able to match a suit are greater than matching a certain rank. There are just 4 of each rank, but there are 13 cards in a suit.
FAQs of Crazy 8s Card Game Rules
- Can the Crazy 8s card game be played with 2 players?
- Indeed, you can play Crazy 8s with two players. In this instance, you would normally deal 7 cards to every player instead of the normal 8. The game still follows the same mandates, with players taking turns matching cards or playing eights to switch suits.
- What is the Penalty in Crazy 8s?
- In a couple of variations, players may determine a penalty for particular actions, such as drawing additional cards for not being able to match the top card. However, these penalties can differ depending on player preferences and house rules.
- What Card Skips in Crazy Eight?
- A few variations of Crazy 8s might include extra rules where particular cards such as Queen, have special effects such as causing the ensuing player to miss out on their turn.
- What’s the variation between Crazy 8 and Uno?
- Crazy 8s and Uno are similar card games, but they have some variations.
- Uno normally uses a specialized deck with colored cards and distinctive cards (such as Reverse, Skip, and Draw 2), while Crazy 8s uses a conventional deck with a focus on matching suits or ranks.
- Crazy 8s permits players to play eights as wild cards, while Uno has certain action cards with custom effects.
- Can you play an eight on any card?
- You can! That’s the beauty of the eight – it’s your wildcard ticket to playing whatever suit you want, switching things up for the ensuing player.
- What happens if the draw heap runs out?
- Nothing happens, simply shuffle the discard lot (except for the top card) to form a new draw lot. The game keeps advancing.
- Do you select 2 in Crazy Eight?
- In a conventional game of Crazy 8s, no, playing a 2 doesn’t compel the following player to draw. It’s just a classic card unless you’re playing a version such as 2’s Wild or Switch where 2s come with unique rules.
- Is Queen of Spades pick up five in Crazy Eights?
- No, the queen of spades doesn’t have any unique powers in Crazy 8s. It’s just a standard card, worth 10 points if you’re keeping score.
- Can you conclude on a skip in Crazy Eights?
- Indeed. There are no limitations on what card you can conclude the game within Crazy 8s. If you can smash down that last skip card, triumph is yours!
