OBJECTIVE: You want the lowest score when another player reaches 100 or more points.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2-10 players
MATERIALS FOR CRAZY EIGHTS: Standard 52 card deck (2 decks for more than 5 players)
TYPE OF GAME: Card game
AUDIENCE: All ages
OVERVIEW OF CRAZY EIGHTS
The name Crazy Eights was coined from a Military term called Section 8! Crazy Eights was originally called Just Eights and was played in the 1930s. By 1940, they had changed the name to Crazy Eights. This change came from the recent Section 8, which the US military was using to discharge mentally unstable soldiers. Crazy Eights is a shedding card game that 2 to 10 players can play. In this article, we will go over all the Crazy Eights rules and a few variations.
SETUP FOR CRAZY EIGHTS
You will sit around a table with the other players. Players will determine the dealer randomly and will shuffle the deck before dealing.
HOW TO DEAL
Remove the jokers from the deck, as they are unnecessary in the game. After you shuffle the deck, the dealer must deal five cards to each player, or seven cards if only two players exist. The dealer places the remaining cards in the center, and flips the top card for all players to see. If you flip over an eight, randomly place it back inside the deck and turn over another card.
HOW TO PLAY CRAZY EIGHTS
The player to the left of the dealer goes first. You, on your turn, have the option of either drawing a card or playing a card on top of the discard pile. To play a card to the discard, the card you play must either match the suit or the rank of the card shown on the discard pile. If you don’t have a card to play, you must draw one from the draw pile. Once a player has either drawn from the pile or played to the discarded, it becomes the next player’s turn.
Eights are wild. When you play an eight, you get to state the suit that gets played next. For example, if you play an eight, you can say hearts as the next suit, and the player after you must play a heart. The first player to empty their hand wins the round, and scoring begins.
SCORING
The winner of the round scores 0 points, and the remaining players will score based on the remaining cards in their hands.
At the end of your game, every 8 you have remaining is worth 50 points. Face cards score you 10 points each. The numerical cards 2 through 10, not counting 8s, score for their numeric value. Aces are each worth 1 point.
END OF GAME
The game ends when a player reaches 100 or more points. The player with the least amount of points wins!
If you love this game and are looking for more try our kid-friendly games.
CRAZY EIGHTS RULES VARIATIONS
There are many variations to the standard Crazy Eights rules you can add to your games to make them more exciting and complex.
LAST CARD CALL
Like in Uno, players will need to call out when they have only one card remaining in their hand. You must draw two cards if you do not call it before the next player’s turn or before another player does.
DRAWING
There are many variations to the drawing rule. Some players state that if you draw a legally legal card, you play it and end your turn. Some interpretations say you draw up to 3 cards, and if one is playable, end your turn. Another variation rule says you can draw up to 5 and do the same. A variation even says you keep drawing until you hit a playable card or empty the stockpile.
EXTRA SPECIAL CARDS
There are typically three major types of unique cards you can add to the standard Crazy Eights rules. These are skip, reverse, and draw. These cards are not wild like 8s, meaning you still have to match either rank or suit to play a card.
The most common cards used for skips are the Queens or Jacks. when you play a queen or jack to the discard pile, it skips the next player’s turn.
Aces are often used as reverse cards. When played, the turn order reverses.
2s and 4s are most common for drawing cards. When played, the next player must draw either 2 or 4 cards, respectively. Sometimes players add Jokers as draw 6s as well.
PLAYING MULTIPLE CARDS
You can play multiple cards with certain variations. You may play cards of the same rank when using these rules. For example, if you play on a discarded 7 of spades, you could simultaneously play the 7 of diamonds and clubs.
FAQ
Why Is It Called Crazy Eights?
The name was derived from the US military’s Section 8 rule. This rule allowed mentally disturbed soldiers to be discharged from the military.
Can You Play Crazy Eights with 2 Players?
You can play with just two players with the standard Crazy Eights rules. Each player will receive seven cards instead of 5 during the deal. The remainder of the game plays the same.
Can You Play Multiple Cards in Crazy Eights?
In the standard Crazy Eights rules, you cannot play more than one card per turn, but some variations allow you to play multiple cards.
How Many Cards Do You Start with in Crazy Eights?
In 2-player games, each player receives seven cards each. You receive five cards in 3 to 10-player games.
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