UNO STRATEGY GUIDE: HOW TO WIN AT UNO

uno strategy

Probably one of the most famous card games out there is Uno. Uno is a super entertaining card game with a simple concept. It’s probably one of the first card games you learned, alongside Go Fish. But don’t be fooled by its sheer simplicity! You can still employ some tips and strategies in order to better your chances of winning at Uno. Uno is more than just laying down random cards. By having a winning mindset and employing the strategies below, you’ll be an Uno god in no time!

So, if you want to get a winning streak under your belt, let’s dive into our ultimate guide on how to win at Uno.

PLAY HIGH-VALUE CARDS FIRST

According to official Uno rules, in this card-shedding game, the winner of the round gains points according to what other players have remaining in their hands. And the first player to get to 500 points wins the whole game. So, be smart about it, and don’t give your opponents a chance to win big points if they do happen to win a round. Get rid of all your high-value cards, working from 9 down.

COUNT CARDS

As with any competitive card game, it can be an advantage to count cards to some extent. Pay attention to what cards are being played. For example, if you notice that a certain player draws on a certain color, keep that in mind and do not change the color of the card! Or if a player keeps playing cards of a certain color, try to change the color so that the player cannot get rid of their cards so quickly.

MAKE YOUR LAST CARD A WILD CARD

I know it’s super tempting to play a Wild card throughout the game, but there’s an advantage to keeping a Wild card as your last card. Since the Wild card can be whatever you want it to be, you can place it down no matter what number or color the previous card is. With a Wild as a last card, you’re no longer at the mercy of the previous player – unless they put down a Wild card before you, that is! But every strategy comes with its risks.

GET RID OF COLORS

how to win at uno

If you happen to have a lot of cards in a particular color, try to get rid of them as fast as you can before the color changes! Take advantage of the color when it is available to you.

SWITCH COLORS OFTEN

Continuing on with the above strategy, if your cards are pretty evened out, the best strategy is to switch colors often. What you want is to have a variety of cards in your hand. You don’t want to have an uneven hand that may end up with you drawing card after card because you don’t happen to have a particular color.

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE SKIP CARDS

Skips are a great way to keep certain players from playing their cards – especially players who are already on Uno! So, if the player next to you has just one card left, skip them! But there’s a nuance to these Skip cards. While having one or two in your hand is great for these opportune moments, avoid having too many in your hand, as they are worth 20 points each!

Two-player Uno: If you’re playing two-player Uno, Skip cards become even more valuable, as it becomes your turn immediately when you play it. So, make sure you use it when convenient to you as you have another card to play.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE REVERSE CARDS

A similar Uno strategy you should keep in mind is to really pay attention to when is the best time to use a Reverse card. Use it to prevent certain players who are at Uno or close to Uno from playing their card(s). This also gives a chance for other players to attack this player with +2s or Wilds.

Again, like Skip, try not to hoard the Reverse card, as they are also worth 20 points.

Two-player Uno: If playing a two-player game, a Reverse plays just like Skip and skips the other player’s turn, so take advantage of this fact and don’t catch yourself off-guarded without another card to play since it’ll be your turn once again!

USE WILD CARDS THOUGHTFULLY

Wait to use a Wild card until a player does not have many cards left in their hand. Then, take this opportunity to have the player draw four cards and/or change the color to another color that you know the other player doesn’t have.

HOARD DRAW TWOS RATHER THAN DRAW FOURS

While a Wild Draw 4 may be a more powerful card, Draw 2s can be just as annoying for other players. But the reason you should stockpile Draw 2s rather than Draw 4s is to keep the points in your hand low if someone were to suddenly win. Remember: Draw 2s are worth 20 points, whereas Wilds are worth 50!

BLUFF

Bring some poker strategy into the mix when playing Uno, and bluff! Bluffing can add another complicated element to the game that can throw off the other players. If you bluff correctly, other players may think you have or don’t have a particular card. You can use this strategy in particular when you play a Wild card. Instead of stating the color you actually want it to be, say another color. This will make your opponents frantically change the color of the stack.

ALWAYS CHANGE THE COLOR AFTER A WILD DRAW 4

uno strategy

Don’t use a Wild +4 card and keep the color the same. Here’s a lesser-known Uno rule you may never have heard before: You can only play a Wild Draw 4 if you do not have the color of the previous card in your hand. So, even if you are bluffing and you do happen to have that color, always change the color. If you don’t, the next player can challenge this, in which case you’ll end up drawing 6 cards!

TRICK PLAYERS INTO CHALLENGING YOUR WILD DRAW 4

Trick your opponents into challenging your Wild +4 card by choosing a color that you don’t have and that other players know you don’t have. And if the next player challenges your Wild Draw 4 and you can show that you indeed played the card legally, they’ll end up drawing 6 cards for failing the challenge!

COORDINATE WITH OTHER PLAYERS

Coordinate with players opposite you (whose plays will never affect yours), to try and catch out the players between you. This strategy particularly comes in handy when there is a player between you who only has one or two cards left. Really try to coordinate as best you can (without actually communicating, of course!) in order to get that player to draw some cards.

STACK DRAW CARDS

Okay, okay, I know in the official rules you cannot stack draw cards. However, if you are playing with house rules that you can stack the Draw 2s, go for it! In this way, a player may end up drawing 10 cards or more!

KEEP AN EYE ON OTHER PLAYERS’ CARDS

uno

More than just counting the cards that come down onto the draw pile, pay attention to how many cards players have left. You’ve got to really pay attention, in particular, as the game slowly comes to a close. If there are any players with two cards left, pay attention when it’s their turn, so you can catch them and yell, “Uno,” first before they get a chance to do so.

DUMP HIGH-VALUE CARDS AT THE END

From the beginning of the game, you should be getting rid of your high-value cards. However, near the end of the game, when you can sense someone is about to win, get rid of all of your high-value cards, including your Wilds. When employing this strategy, you allow your opponent to win with fewer points. But in some weird way, you may also end up turning the tide of the game because of all the random cards you are playing! After all, Uno is a luck game just as much as a skill game!

DON’T FORGET TO PLAY THE LONG GAME

As mentioned already, players need to gain 500 points to win Uno. So, rather than simply playing for each round, keep an eye on the total score. If there’s a specific player who already has a lot of points and is in danger of winning, target and sabotage them! Even if this player is not playing particularly well this round, stop them from gaining any more points.

Mia Kim
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