If you want to play a card game with simple rules and a high emotional impact, you should definitely check out Crazy Eights. It’s a wonderful option for a loud company of friends and also for spending your leisure on your own – provided of course you have access to our great online version of it! Let’s see how to play and how to win!
Rules and purpose of Crazy Eights
Crazy Eights is played with a standard 52 deck. Each of the players is dealt five cards face down. The rest are put in the middle of the table face down as well and forms the Stock from where the players will then draw additional cards. The last card of the Stock is put separately face up and is the starting card.
During the game, the players discard cards from their hands and the one who gets rid of his hand first wins. The rest of the players can share the second place by calculating their points based on the cards on their hands. This is done according to the following: each card from 2 to deuce corresponds to its numerical value. Jacks, queens and kings all cost 10 points. Each ace is just 1 point while each eight is 50 points. Not much of a consolation, but still better than ending the game as a total loser! But even if that happens, don’t get upset and just try again!
How to play your hand
The possible moves are all based on the card you have on top of the pile. Stemming from it, you can play any card if has the same suit or rank as the top one. For instance, you have a deuce of spades on top. That means you can play either any other deuce or any other spade.
Moreover, several cards can be played at a time if they are of the same rank, but with a hitch – the first one of them must match the above mentioned condition (i.e. have the same rank or suit as the top card from the pile). In our example with a deuce of spades, you can play not only other deuces, but also any spade (for instance, a queen of spades) and all the other queens (of different suits).
Eights can be played any time, regardless of the top card – they kind of restart the cycle. When you play an eight, you can also change the suit using the prompt on the screen. If eight is the first card you start with on the table, you can place down any of the cards you’re holding in your hand.
If there are no cards that can be played, you have the option to draw any number of cards from the deck without exceeding three cards. This option doesn’t work if you’re holding any playable cards. If those three cards you just drew still can’t be played, the move passes to another player and you have to repeat the maneuver when it’s your turn.
Note that the controls are manual. When you click on any of the cards, all the rest that can be played along with it aren’t also selected automatically. You must also click on them one by one, and if you skip any – well, your bad. Give a shot to Crazy Eights online right now and enjoy this great card game!