Crazy Eights Rules And Cards - Learning Board Games

Crazy Eights is a classic shedding-type card game for two to seven players, also known as an American member of the Eights Group, which concludes Pig and Spoons. This game can be played with a standard 52-card deck, and the goal is to get rid of all your cards before your opponents.

Crazy Eights Rules

We can play the game with 2 to 7 players, and we give each player 8 cards at the beginning of each round. The game starts with the player to the left of the dealer and continues clockwise. The game is based on matching the rank or suit of the top card on the discard pile.

The game ends when one player has no cards remaining in their hand. This player wins the game and scores points based on the cards left in the other players’ hands. Each card has a point value, depending on its number or type. The player with the lowest score at the end of the game wins.

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For example, if the top card is a 5 of hearts, the next player can play any heart or any 5. If the player has no matching card, they have to draw two cards from the draw pile. If the drawn cards are playable, they can play them immediately. If not, they keep them in their hand and end their turn.

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Components

A standard 52-card deck, which consists of 13 cards in each of the four suits: clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades. Each suit has cards numbered from 2 to 10, plus an ace, a jack, a queen, and a king. You can use any regular playing cards, or you can buy special Crazy Eights cards that have different designs or colors for each suit.
A score pad and a pen to keep track of the points. You can use any paper and pen, or you can use the score pad that comes with some versions of the game.

Setup

To start the game, shuffle the deck and deal eight cards to each player, face down. If there are only two players, you can deal with seven cards instead. The players can look at their cards and arrange them in any order they like.
Place the remaining cards in the center of the table, face down. We call this pile the draw pile. This is where the players will draw cards from when they have no matching cards to play.
Turn over the top card of the draw pile and place it next to the draw pile, face up. This card starts the discard pile, where the players will play their cards on. This card determines the suit or rank that the next player has to match. If the card is an eight, which is a special card, put it back in the draw pile and turn over another card.
Choose a player to go first. You can use any method you like, such as drawing cards, rolling dice, or flipping a coin. The player to the left of the dealer usually goes first, but you can change the order if desired.

Crazy Eights Cards

A standard 52-card deck, which consists of 13 cards in each of the four suits: clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades. Each suit has cards numbered from 2 to 10, plus an ace, a jack, a queen, and a king. You can use any regular playing cards, or you can buy special Crazy Eights cards that have different designs or colors for each suit.
Eights are wild cards, which can be used to replace any other card in a meld. When you play an eight, you have to declare the new suit that the next player has to match. You can also play an eight on top of another eight, and change the suit again.
Other cards have no special effects, and can only be played if they match the suit or rank of the top card on the discard pile. For example, you can play a 5♦ on top of a 5♥, or a 9♠ on top of a 6♠.

Points and Scoring Rules of Crazy Eights Card Game

The goal of the game is to get rid of all your cards before your opponents and score the fewest points. The game can be played in rounds, or until one player reaches a certain score, such as 100 or 200 points.
Each card has a point value, depending on its number or type. At the end of each round, the players count the points of the cards left in their hands and add them to their total score and the player with the lowest score at the end of the game wins.
The point values of the cards are as follows:
Each eight = 50 points
Each K, Q, J, or 10 = 10 points
Each ace = 1 point
Each other card is the pip value (for example, a 7 is worth 7 points)

How to Play Crazy Eights Card Game

To play Crazy Eights, you need a standard 52-card deck, a score pad, a pen, and 2 to 7 players. If there are more than 5 players, you can use two decks.
Shuffle the deck and deal 8 cards to each player, face down. If there are only two players, deal 7 cards instead. The players can look at their cards and arrange them in any order they like.
Place the remaining cards in the center of the table, face down. This pile is called the draw pile. Turn over the top card and place it next to the draw pile, face up. This card starts the discard pile. If the card is an eight, put it back in the draw pile and turn over another card.
Choose a player to go first. You can use any method you like, such as drawing cards, rolling dice, or flipping a coin. The player to the left of the dealer usually goes first, but you can change the order if you want.
The first player must play a card that matches the suit or rank of the top card on the discard pile. For example, if the top card is a 5 of hearts, the player can play any heart or any 5. The player places the card face up on the discard pile and the turn passes to the next player on the left.
If the player has no matching card, they must draw a card from the draw pile. If the drawn card is playable, they can play it immediately. If not, they keep it in their hand and end their turn.
Eights are wild cards, which can be played on any card. When a player plays an eight, they must declare a new suit for the next player to follow. For example, if the player plays an eight of spades and says “diamonds”, the next player must play a diamond or another eight.
The game ends when a player has no more cards left. This player wins the round and scores points based on the cards left in the other players’ hands. Each eight is worth 50 points, each face card is worth 10 points, each ace is worth 1 point, and each other card is worth its pip value.
The game can be played in rounds, or until one player reaches a certain score, such as 100 or 200 points. The player with the lowest score at the end of the game wins.

Other Card Games Explained

FAQs

How many cards are dealt in Crazy Eights?

The dealer deals each player 8 cards at the beginning of each round. If there are only two players, only deal 7 cards instead.

What are the special effects of eights and other cards in Crazy Eights?

Wild cards are eights, and you can play them on any card. When a player plays an eight, they have to declare a new suit for the next player to follow. For example, if the player plays an eight of spades and says “diamonds”, the next player has to play a diamond or another eight. Other cards lack special effects and players can only play them if they match the suit or rank of the top card on the discard pile.