Crazy Eights is a shedding-type card game for two to seven players.

The object of
the game is to be the first to get rid of all the player's cards to a discard pile.
The game is considered a pre-extension of Switch[citation needed] and Mau Mau.[1]

A standard 52-card deck is used when there are five or fewer players. When there
are more than five players, two decks are shuffled together and all 104 cards are
used.

Contents [hide]
1 Origins
2 Basic play
3 Zimbabwean variation of Crazy Eights
3.1 Game Shifting cards
3.1.1 Eight - Declare a suit
3.1.2 Jack- Reverse
3.1.2.1 Two - opponent picks 2 cards
3.1.2.2 joker- opponent picks 5 cards
3.1.3 Defensive cards
3.1.4 Ace - place down any of the same suits you have as the ace
4 See also
5 References
Origins[edit]
The game first appeared as Eights in the 1930s,[1] and the name Crazy Eights dates
to the 1940s, derived from the United States military designation for discharge of
mentally unstable soldiers, Section 8.[2][3]

There are many variations of the basic game, and a number of different names
including Craits, Last One, Mau-Mau, Pesten, Rockaway, Swedish Rummy, Switch, Last
Card, Screw Your Neighbour, P�skiyon, and Tschausepp. Bartok, Mao, Quango, Zar,
Taki, and Uno are more extreme variations.

David Parlett describes Crazy Eights as "not so much a game as a basic pattern of
play on which a wide variety of changes can be rung," noting that players can
easily invent and explore new rules.[1]

Basic play[edit]
Eight cards are dealt to each player (or seven in a two-player game).[4] The
remaining cards of the deck are placed face down at the center of the table. The
top card is then turned face up to start the game.

Players discard by matching rank or suit with the top card of the discard pile,
starting with the player left of the dealer. If a player is unable to match the
rank or suit of the top card of the discard pile and does not have an 8, they draw
cards from the stockpile until they get a playable card. When a player plays an 8,
they must declare the suit that the next player is to play; that player must then
follow the named suit or play another 8.

As an example: Once 6? is played the next player:

can play any of the other 6s

can play any of the clubs
can play any 8 (then must declare a suit)
can draw from the stockpile until willing and able to play one of the above
The game ends as soon as one player has emptied their hand. That player collects a
payment from each opponent equal to the point score of the cards remaining in that
opponent's hand. 8s score 50, court cards 10 and all other cards face value. If the
players run out of cards in the deck, the player with the lowest point score in
their hand scores the difference between that hand and each opponent's hand.[1]
The winner of the game is the first player to reach a specific number of points.
For two players it is 100 points, three players 150, four 200, five 250, six 300
and for seven players 350.

Zimbabwean variation of Crazy Eights[edit]

A similar version of the game is played in Zimbabwe following a slightly different
set of rules and resembling Uno more than the basic form of the game. This version
is more complicated but more dynamic.

Five to eight cards are dealt to each player and the remaining cards of the deck
are placed face down at the center of the table. The top card is then turned face
up to start the game.

Players discard by matching rank or suit with the top card of the discard pile,
starting with the player left of the dealer. If a player is unable to match the
rank or suit of the top card of the discard pile and does not have a special
functions card, or simply does not wish to play any of the cards in their hand,
they must draw one card from the stockpile. At this point the player has the choice
of playing any card from their hand or storing the new card and passing their turn.
Players are able to play more than one of the same number at once.

There are a number of special functions cards these are either game shifting cards,
offensive cards or defensive cards. These are summarised in a table below and then
further explained.

Game Shifting cards[edit]

Allow the user to change the ability of the next player to play.

7- Skip the next player

When a player plays a 7, they "skip" the next player who then loses their turn. If
the next player also holds a 7 and they play this before the player after them
places a card then they counter the "skip" effect and shift this to the player next
to them. In a game of two player a "skip" allows the player to play again and can
be combined with kings and jacks for an uninterrupted series of play. A seven card
can be played matching the rank or suit allowances of the top card of the discard
pile.

Eight - Declare a suit[edit]

When a player plays an eight, they must "declare" the suit that the next player is
to play; that player must then follow the named suit or play another eight. If an
eight is played as a directly counter to a declaring eight then the game will
continue following the suit of the newly played eight. An eight card can be played
during a players turn regardless of the previous suit or rank. An eight card cannot
be placed down on top of each other by the same players during their turn.

Jack- Reverse[edit]
When a player plays a jack, they "reverse" the game allowing the previous player to
play again. The player of the jack can decide if the reversal is for the remainder
of the game play (until another jack is played) or if it is only until the previous
player has played. This allows the jack player to play again. In a game of two
player a "reverse" allows the player to play again and can be combined with sevens
and kings for an uninterrupted series of play. A jack card can be played matching
the rank or suit allowances of the top card of the discard pile.

Two - opponent picks 2 cards[edit]

A two can only be played. if the last played card is a Joker. When the two is
played the player must say "pick 2, no pick and play" otherwise the next player may
play after s/he pick 2 cards. When a two is played the next player in line must
either block with a defensive card, play their own offensive card, or 2 cards from
the deck (more if the total number of cards demanded has been accumulating). If the
opponent has only the choice of picking 2 cards and s/he would like to play s/he
must say "pick and play" before the player says "pick 2, no pick and play."

joker- opponent picks 5 cards[edit]

A joker can be played during the player's turn regardless of the suit or score of
the last played card on the discard pile on the player. When a joker is played the
next player in line must either block with a defensive card, play their own
offensive card, or pick 5 cards from the deck (more if the total number of cards
demanded has been accumulating).

Defensive cards[edit]
Defensive cards protect the player from offensive cards used on them by the
previous player. In some variants of the game, when a player is picking multiple
cards as a result of an offensive card played by the previous player, if the first
card the player picks from the deck is defensive (an ace) they are allowed to
immediately play it in that turn and will not have to pick the rest of the cards
they otherwise should have. If the ace is in subsequent picks, it cannot be played
and the player misses a turn as expected.

Ace - place down any of the same suits you have as the ace[edit]
If the players run out of cards in the deck then the top card of the discard pile
is left face up and the rest of the discard pile cards are shuffled and used as the
new deck. The game ends as soon as one player has emptied their hand using a
regular card. However, not if the previous card on the discard pile is an Offensive
card or a Defensive card. If a player empties their hand under these conditions, or
with a special function card, then the player goes "in air", i.e. on their next
turn they must pick a one card from the deck and continue playing. If another
player ends the game whilst someone is in air, that in air player must pick a card
from the deck. The player with the highest cumulative score points loses the round.
This game can be played in love eliminating one player each round.

The winner of the round is the first player to get rid of their hand by throwing
their last regular card on top or another regular card or a shifting card. The
winner of the game is the last player after every opponent has been knocked out. If
multiple players have the same score (highest) at the end of a round then they must
each pick one extra card from the deck until there is a clear loser of the round.

SPECIAL RULES

These only apply if agreed upon at the start of the game :

1. Lucky Card

If a player next in line has been dealt an offensive card ( pick 2 / pick 5) or
cumulative value after a series of 2�s and Jokers - before picking the number of
cards prescribed, the player can ask for a Lucky card. This is the first card on
top of the deck. If the card is a blocking card ( Ace ) it can be played to block
the penalty. If the card is also an offensive card Joker or Deuce (2) it can be
added to the value of the cumulative penalty and passed on to the next player in
line. If the first card is neither an offensive nor blocking card then the player
should pick the prescribed penalty plus one extra card.

2. In closing, a player can be brought back into the game if the next player in
line has a similar face value card.