How many cards do you deal in Crazy Eights?

Deal 5 cards face-down to each player , one at a time, starting with the player on the dealer's left. In a 2-player game, deal 7 cards each instead. Place the rest of the deck face-down in the middle as the stock (draw) pile, then turn the top card face-up beside it to start the discard pile — that card is called the starter. If the starter is an 8, bury it in the middle of the deck and turn the next card instead (8s are wild and cannot be the starter).

What does the 8 do in Crazy Eights?

An 8 is wild — you may play one of any suit on top of any card at any time on your turn. After playing an 8, you announce which suit the next player must match (hearts, diamonds, clubs, or spades). The rank '8' is then ignored for matching; only the named suit matters until someone plays another 8 or a card of that suit. You may even name the suit that was already showing if you want to keep play in the same suit.

Can you win Crazy Eights by playing an 8 as your last card?

Yes — you may legally win the hand by playing an 8 as your final card. You must still declare a suit when you play it, but the declaration has no effect because the hand ends immediately when your hand is empty.

How is Crazy Eights scored?

When a player goes out, the winner scores points equal to the cards still held by every other player : each 8 is worth 50 , each face card (K, Q, J) is 10 , each 10 is 10 , each Ace is 1 , and each numeral 2 through 9 (other than 8) counts at face value. Play a single hand as a standalone game, or play hands until a player reaches an agreed target score — a common house target is 100 points.

What happens if the draw pile runs out?

Under Pagat's standard rules, take the discard pile except the top card , shuffle it, and place it face-down as a new stock. Under Bicycle's strict rules, once the stock is exhausted, players who cannot play simply pass their turn until someone wins or every player passes in a row. Decide which version you're using before play begins.

What's the difference between Crazy Eights and Uno?

Uno is a commercial branded card game directly inspired by Crazy Eights and other shedding games in the Eights family. Both share the core idea — empty your hand by matching colour/suit or number/rank — but Uno uses a custom deck with extra action cards (Skip, Reverse, Draw Two, Wild, Wild Draw Four) and is played with proprietary cards, while Crazy Eights uses a standard 52-card deck and is in the public domain. Variants like Switch (UK/Ireland) and Mau-Mau (Germany) add Uno-style action cards back into the 52-card game.

Free Printable Crazy Eights Rules

About Free Printable Crazy Eights Rules

Yes. An 8 can go on any card, including another 8, and you then name a new suit. If you do not have an 8, you must play the suit that was named.

By the ToolFluency team · Updated October 2026

Crazy Eights is a shedding card game for 2 to 8 players using one standard 52-card deck, or two decks for a big group. You match the top card of the discard pile by suit or rank, and every 8 is wild and lets you name a new suit. The first player to get rid of all their cards wins the hand, which takes about 5 to 15 minutes. The full printable rules sheet, with card diagrams and a scoring chart, is on this page.

How to play Crazy Eights

Remove the jokers and shuffle. Deal 5 cards to each player, or 7 cards each with 2 players. Put the rest face down as the stock and turn the top card up to start the discard pile. If that card is an 8, bury it in the deck and turn another.
The player to the dealer's left goes first and play moves clockwise. On your turn, play one card that matches the top discard by suit or rank. On the Queen of Clubs you can play any club or any Queen.
An 8 is wild and can be played on any card. When you play it, name the suit the next player must follow; you may even name the suit already showing.
If the top card is an 8, the next player must play the named suit or another 8.
If you cannot or do not want to play, draw from the stock one card at a time until you get a card you can play, then play it. Your turn ends once you play.
If the stock runs out, players who cannot play pass. Alternatively, shuffle the discards, keeping the top card, into a new stock. Agree which rule you are using first.
The first player to play their last card, which may be an 8, wins the hand. They score points for every card still held by the other players.
Play one hand as a quick game, or keep dealing hands until someone reaches an agreed target such as 100 points.

Crazy Eights scoring (cards left in losers' hands)

Card	Points to the winner
Each 8	50
Each King, Queen or Jack	10
Each 10	10
Each 2 to 9 (not 8)	Face value
Each Ace	1

Examples

Strategy tips

Hold your 8s for when you are stuck. Playing one early wastes your only escape and leaves it worth 50 points against you if someone else goes out.
When you play an 8, name the suit you hold the most of, not just the one you like.
Change the suit when an opponent is low on cards. If they have been playing hearts, a matching rank in another suit can switch them off it.
Get rid of high-value cards early. Kings, Queens, Jacks and 10s cost you 10 each if you are caught holding them.
Watch what others draw on. If a player drew several cards on spades, they probably have none, so leaving spades on top can stall them.

Example: scoring a hand

You go out first. One opponent is holding an 8 and the King of Hearts, and another holds a 5 of Spades and an Ace. You score 50 + 10 + 5 + 1 = 66 points for the hand.

Frequently asked questions

Can you play an 8 on top of another 8?

Yes. An 8 can go on any card, including another 8, and you then name a new suit. If you do not have an 8, you must play the suit that was named.

Can you go out on an 8?

Yes. You may win the hand by playing an 8 as your last card. You still name a suit, but it does not matter because the hand ends when your hand is empty.

Do you draw until you can play, or just one card?

On these rules you keep drawing until you get a playable card, then play it. Some players draw only one card and pass if it cannot be played, and some cap it at 3 draws, so agree before dealing.

Can you draw even if you have a card you could play?

Yes. You may choose not to play and draw instead, for example to save an 8. Your turn still ends as soon as you play a card.

Do you have to say "last card"?

Only if you use that common house rule. When you play your second-to-last card you announce "last card", and if you forget and the next player notices before they play, you draw 2 as a penalty.

How many players can play, and when do you need two decks?

Crazy Eights works for 2 to 8 players. With a large group, shuffle two 52-card decks together so the stock does not run out too quickly; there is no fixed cut-off.

How is Crazy Eights different from Switch?

Switch adds action cards: 2s make the next player pick up 2, 8s skip the next player, Kings reverse direction, and Aces become the wild suit-changing card instead of 8s. The Black Jack version also has a black Jack force a pick up of 5, cancelled by a red Jack.

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