Crazy eights is a fast paced card game perfect for large parties. The more the merrier in this simple game. Crazy eights is not only a game for kids, but it’s also a fantastic way for guests of an adults only party to get to know one another. The more people that play the more cards you will need. The more cards you have the crazier the game gets and crazier the game gets the more fun it is to use variations. Here are a few fun variations, tips and rules for playing crazy eights with a crowd.
Rules of the Game
A basic game of crazy eights usually includes two to four people and requires one standard 52 card deck of Bicycle or Bee brand playing cards without using the jokers. Playing with a crowd however, requires more cards. A nice rule of thumb to remember is to use one deck of cards for every five people; so that 10 people would need two decks, 15 people three decks and so on.
The object of crazy eights is simple; be the first person to get rid of all your cards.
Everyone is dealt five cards; the remaining cards are laid face down in the center of the group as a stock pile. The top card in the stock pile is turned over, face up next to it as a discard pile. The game begins with the person left of the dealer and moves clockwise. Every player must take a card from the discard pile to start their turn and every player must discard one to end the turn.
Each player has to match up the rank and suit of the top card on the discard pile with one in their hand in order to play. For example, if the top card on the discard pile is a 4 of diamonds the player must lay down a 4 or a diamond. If he or she does not have a 4 or a diamond then they must continue to draw a card until they can.
An 8 can be played at any time and the player that lays down the eight must decide and call out the next suit to be played. The game continues on in this way with the suits being changed with each 8 put on top of the discard pile.
When the stock pile (the pile you draw from) is gone, the discard pile is shuffled and turned back over as the stock pile until there are no more. The first player to get rid of all the cards in their hand is the winner.
So far it sounds like any other card game. Here’s where it gets interesting. Without variations this game would be boring. Variations are what makes the game fun.
Note: these variations can only be used when a certain card is played. For example designate a joker as a skip card or aces as reverse cards.
Skip – Whenever a player lays down the designated card, the next player is skipped. Most people use the 8 card for this variation.
Switch Directions – With this variation, use the king card to change the direction the game is going, from clockwise to counter clockwise.
Change Suit – Whoever plays this card can force the next player to lay down a card of a specific suit. The game continues with that suit until changed again. Typically the queen card is used to designate the change suit variation.
Draw Cards – Use a two card to specify this variation. Whenever a two of any suit is played, the player to the left of him must draw two cards from the stock pile. If the next player lays down a two the next player must take four unless they can play a two, the twos add up each time it is played.
Penalties – If a player lays down a black jack of any suit the person to the right must then draw five cards as a penalty but if the person to the right can lay down a red jack of any suit the penalty is void and the game resumes with the original player that laid down the black jack.
Crazy Eights – When a player gets down to the last card in their hand they must shout out Crazy Eights. Failure to shout crazy eights results in having to draw eight cards as a penalty.
The more variations you come up with the crazier the game gets, of course the drunker your guests are the crazier the game gets. You can add as many variations to the game as you like by designating certain cards as variations. Be sure that all the players know and understand the rules of the variations. This game tends to get as loud as it is crazy, which makes it all the more fun by implementing a quiet variation with penalties. Have fun, get rid of your cards and stay crazy.
