Crazy Eights - Rules Variations

Rules Variations

In some variants, a player who cannot discard need only pick up one card before the turn passes to the next player. In this case another variable rule is whether or not a player picking up a card that could be played is allowed to play it immediately or not. In other versions, the suit-changing card may be a different card (often Jacks or Aces), and rules vary as to whether the card has to be played on a matching suit (that is, 8♥ cannot be played) or whether it can be played regardless of the top card.

In some variations the players may agree to the "Dealer's Goodies" rule, in which the dealer is allowed to take the first discarded card if it is a "special" card, and continue taking cards until an "ordinary" card surfaces. Sometimes it is obligatory to call out "last card" if the player has only one card remaining. If he fails to make this call and is spotted, he may be obliged to pick up four cards as a penalty. Another variant requires that if a player's last card is an Eight, he must reveal this to the other players.

In some variations, any number of cards of the same rank may be played consecutively when discarding, and in others, the players may choose to hold on to the wild 8's cards if so they choose. In some versions runs (e.g. playing the three, four and five of a suit together) are permitted when discarding. Another version allows for the top card of the discard pile to be removed and the remaining cards in the discard pile are reshuffled and serve as a new stock pile when the stock pile has run out. Some players require that in order to win, the player must run out of cards and finish on an "8". In another version the winner is the player with the fewest points.

In the variation known as "Domineights", multiple cards can be consecutively discarded if each card is either the same rank or the rank directly above or below the previous card discarded. For example, if the top card of the discard pile is 4♥, the player could discard a 5♥, then a 5♦. The player may continue until the card discarded is not within one rank of the previous or until the player announces that he or she is finished the turn.

The game is sometimes "spiced up" by specifying that, as well as Eights allowing the player to change the suit, other specific ranks have special rules applied to them. Examples include:

• Skip - The next player in the rotation is skipped. If more than one card is played, the appropriate number of players are skipped. Skip cards are often Aces. Players may agree that the player being skipped may cancel this by playing a skip card himself ("Skips on Skips"); in this case the next two players are then skipped. A similar option exists with draw cards, where 2s and the Queen of spades may be played on each other interchangeably if players agree on "Draws on Draws".
• Reverse - Players may agree that play reverses direction when a Queen or joker is placed down.
• Additional properties of 8 - The player who plays an 8 can force the next player to play a card of a certain suit. In addition, playing an 8 cancels out any draw cards that would ordinarily be required. Some variations allow or require the player to play an extra card on top of the 8, thus setting the next suit. This changes strategy slightly, as the 8 becomes a more valuable card when a player cannot otherwise play, but less valuable as a tool to "block" the next player by trying to call a suit the other player does not have. Sometimes eights are allowed to make a person draw eight as well as letting the eight player change the suit.
• Draw Cards - When a draw card is played, the next player must take a number of cards from the pack. There are two basic draw cards: the 2 (draw 2) and the Ace (draw 4). If the next player can play another draw card, they add up and the third player must draw the total, unless he or she also has a draw card or an 8. Playing more than one draw card simultaneously will usually require a draw equal to the sum of the cards (i.e. three twos = six cards). Some players use black jacks to require the draw of five cards, and allow red jacks to cancel the draw. After drawing, the drawer cannot drop a card until it is their turn again. Some players, play the bitch(queen of spades) to pick up 5. Also, when two tens are played at the same time the opponent picks up one card from the pile.The king of diamonds can cancel the queen of spades draw five move.Eights (as you have read)can be played to make the next player to draw eight as well as skipping the player.The player who played this card can still choose what suit to play.

In some variations, players may play red jokers on hearts or diamonds and blacks on spades or clubs. Jokers are "wild" cards in this variant. For example, if a six of clubs is played a, black joker can be played if the player does not have a six, club or eight. The next player gets to choose whether it is clubs or spades.