How to play Crazy Eights

Crazy Eights is a quick, friendly card game for two to four players. You play against one, two or three computer players: Ivy, Clyde and Bea. Everyone takes turns playing one card onto the pile, matching the card on top. The first player to get rid of every card wins the hand and scores the cards left in everyone else's hands.

The deal

• One standard deck of 52 cards. With two players each gets 7 cards; with three or four, 5 cards each.
• The rest is the face-down stock. Its top card is turned face up to start the pile. If that card is an eight, it goes back into the middle of the stock and the next card is turned.
• The player after the dealer goes first, and the deal moves around the table each hand.

A turn

• Play one card that matches the top of the pile: the same suit or the same number. On the 9 of diamonds you can play any diamond or any 9.
• Eights are wild. An eight goes on any card, and you name the suit the next player must match. Until someone plays, that suit stays, and the table shows it under the pile.
• If nothing in your hand fits, draw from the stock one card at a time until you get one that does, then play it.
• When the stock is empty and nothing fits, you pass.
• Tap a card to play it. On a phone, the first tap lifts the card and the second plays it. Cards you can play have a gold edge.

Scoring

• The player who goes out scores the cards left in the other hands: eights 50, kings, queens and jacks 10, aces 1, every other card its number.
• If the stock is empty and nobody can play, the hand is blocked. The player with the lowest hand scores the difference to each other hand. If two players share the lowest count, nobody scores.
• The game goes on until someone reaches 50 points for each player at the table: 100 with two, 150 with three, 200 with four. In Settings you can play a short game to half that.

Tips

1. Save your eights. An eight always fits, so as your last card it always goes out. Caught with one, it costs 50.
2. Play high cards first. A king left in your hand costs 10; a 2 costs only 2.
3. Change to your long suit. If you have four hearts, play the card that turns the pile to hearts, or name hearts with an eight.
4. Watch who draws. A player who draws had nothing in that suit. When they are down to one card, turn the pile back to that suit.

Today's deal

The Daily Deal is one hand against three computer players, with the same cards for everyone. Go out first to score the cards left in the other hands; otherwise your result is what is left in yours. Compare it with everyone else's today. Your first try of the day is the one that counts.

Questions

Is there a draw-two or a skip card? Not in the classic game played here: only eights are special. Those cards come from other house rules.

Can I draw when I have a card that fits? No. You draw only when nothing in your hand can be played.

How strong are the computers? Easy plays its eights too early and often plays the wrong card. Normal saves its eights and turns the pile to its long suit. Sharp also remembers who drew on which suit and looks ahead through many possible hands.

Can I play with my family? Playing with friends over a link, each on their own phone, is coming soon. For now you play the computers.

Do I need an account? No. Your game is saved in this browser, so you can close the page and come back.