Crazy Eights
How to Play Crazy Eights
Crazy Eights is a shedding game for 2–6 people typical (2–7 is fine), everyone for themselves. You deal one 52, match the suit or rank of the up-card, or play an 8. 8s are wild — name a new suit. First to empty the hand wins.
This page is kitchen-table Crazy Eights. Short enough to deal tonight. Mixed-age table, not a kids' page — same rules for cousins or grandparents. This is the 52-card game, not a boxed color-card set. This is not Palace. Palace is three down, three up, rest in hand. This is not President. President deals the whole pack and first out sits President next hand. Three is a real table, not a leftover. Two is a real table too. Pick it from tonight with 4 players or tonight with 3.
What you need
- 2–6 players typical. Seven is fine if you have the chairs. Everyone for themselves. No partners. Three is a real table. Four is typical.
- One standard 52-card deck. No jokers. Deal 7 each at 2, 5 each at 3 or more. The rest is the stock.
- No score pad. First to empty the hand wins. Leftover-card points are optional for a rematch.
Midwest leftover-deck fact: after you pull the 24-card euchre pack (9–A), the leftover 2–8s can play a short Crazy Eights. Default kit tonight is still one 52.
Sit, pick a dealer, agree on the house
Sit where you can see the up-card and reach the stock. Cut for the first deal, or point at someone. After each hand, the deal moves clockwise.
Say these out loud before the first card:
- One 52. Match suit or rank of the up-card, or play an 8. Two people get 7 each. Three or more get 5 each.
- An 8 is wild. Play it on anything. Name the suit the next person must follow. They play that suit or another 8. Tonight that is the only special.
- If you cannot play, draw one. If that card plays, play it. Else keep it; your turn ends. When the stock is gone, reshape the pile under the top card into a new stock.
- First to empty the hand wins. Not President: no next-hand seats. Not Palace: no face-down stacks. Score pad optional.
Deal 7 at 2, 5 at 3+, then a stock
Shuffle the 52. Deal clockwise: 7 each if two people, 5 each if three or more. Put the rest of the pack face-down in the middle. That is the stock. Turn the next card face-up beside it. That is the starter — the up-card.
If the starter is an 8, the dealer names the suit the first player must follow. Some tables let left of dealer play any card instead. Tonight: dealer names the suit.
Four people: 20 cards dealt, 32 in the stock, one of those turned up. Three people: 15 dealt, plenty of stock. Two people: 14 dealt. At seven, 5 each is 35 dealt — still a stock. If someone has the wrong count, throw it in and deal again.
Left of the dealer plays first.
Match suit or rank
Play goes clockwise. On your turn you play one card onto the up-card.
- Match the suit of the up-card, or match its rank. A 9♥ plays on a 6♥. A 6♠ plays on a 6♥.
- Or play an 8. An 8 is wild. Name the suit the next person must follow. They play that suit or another 8.
- If you cannot play, draw one from the stock. If that card matches or is an 8, play it. If it does not, keep it. Your turn ends.
- Tonight you draw one, not until you can play. Skip, reverse, and draw-two are extra house — not the default. If your table wants them, say so before you deal.
8s wild, and the stock
| Card | What it does |
|---|---|
| 8 | Wild. Play on anything. Name the suit the next person must follow. |
| Suit match | Legal. 9♥ on 6♥. Next player still matches that 9♥ — suit or rank. |
| Rank match | Legal. 6♠ on 6♥. Next player matches the 6♠. |
| Cannot play | Draw one. If it plays, play it. Else keep it; turn ends. |
| Stock gone | Reshape the discard under the top card into a new stock. |
After an 8, the named suit is what the next person follows — not the 8's printed suit, unless you named that one. They may always play another 8 and name again.
When the stock is empty, lift the top card (the up-card). Shuffle the rest of the discard face-down. That is the new stock. Put the up-card back as the starter. If there is nothing under the top card, skip — play on with what is in hand until someone goes out.
First out wins
Play your last card and you win. The hand is over. You do not keep going for a named last seat. Last with cards is not Scum, not the bottom seat, not a title. That is President. You do not have face-down or face-up stacks. That is Palace.
No pad required. First out is enough for night one. If you want leftover-card scoring for a rematch: cards still in hand count against you. 8s = 50, face cards (jack, queen, king) = 10, aces = 1, pip cards face value. Lowest leftover after a few hands, or keep dealing first-out. Say which. Optional.
Walk through one first-night hand
Four people. You are West. South dealt. Five cards each. The starter is 6♥. You hold 6♠, 4♦, 3♥, 8♦, and K♥.
You speak first. You play 6♠ — match rank. North plays Q♠ — match suit. East has no spade and no queen, draws 4♣, cannot play it, keeps it. South plays 8♣: wild, names diamonds.
You play 4♦ — the named suit. North plays 9♦. East plays 9♣ — match rank. South cannot match clubs or 9, draws, turn ends. You have no club and no 9, so you play 8♦: wild, name hearts.
North follows hearts. East follows hearts. South dumps a heart. You play K♥. Next time around you play 3♥ — your last card. You win. South still holds cards. That is not a named seat. Nobody flipped a stack.
Night-one habits
- Save an 8 to change the suit when you are stuck, or to go out.
- Match rank to leave a suit you like. Match suit to stay in a run.
- Draw one. Do not keep drawing until you can play unless the table said so.
- First out wins. You do not need a pad. Leftover points are a rematch option.
- Three people is a real Crazy Eights table. Two is a real table. Deal.
You know enough to deal. Keep this page beside the table. Four people is a tonight pick. Three people is a tonight pick. There is no Crazy Eights trainer on CardPractice — this how-to is the product. If you wanted three down, three up, and a stock, that is Palace. If you wanted to deal the whole pack and sit President next hand, that is President.