Crazy Eights is one of the most popular card games in the world. Known by many names - Switch in the UK, Mau-Mau in Germany, Uno in its commercial form - the game is easy to learn but rewarding to master. This guide covers the complete rules of Crazy Eights and how it compares to the UK variant Switch.

What is Crazy Eights?

Crazy Eights is a shedding card game for 2 to 6 players. Each player starts with a hand of cards and takes turns playing cards onto a shared discard pile. The winner is the first player to empty their hand. The game gets its name from the 8 card, which is wild in the original American version.

What You Need

For 2-5 players: one standard 52-card deck. For 5 or more players: two decks shuffled together. The game does not use Jokers in the classic American version (though the UK variant does).

Setting Up Crazy Eights

1. Shuffle the deck thoroughly.
2. Deal 5 cards to each player (7 cards each in a 2-player game).
3. Place the remaining cards face-down in the centre as the stock pile.
4. Turn the top card face-up to start the discard pile.

How to Play Crazy Eights: Basic Rules

The player to the dealer's left goes first, then play passes clockwise. On your turn, you must play a card that matches the top card of the discard pile by either suit or rank.

If you cannot play a matching card, draw from the stock pile until you can play. In some variations, you may only draw one card per turn and then pass if you still cannot play.

The Eight - The Wild Card

In the classic Crazy Eights version, eights are wild. You can play an 8 on any card regardless of suit or rank, then declare which suit the next player must follow. This is the original mechanic the game is named after.

Winning Crazy Eights

The first player to play all their cards wins the hand. In many versions, scoring continues across multiple rounds: each remaining player's cards are counted against them (face cards = 10 points, eights = 50 points, numbered cards = face value). The first player to reach a target score (e.g., 100 points) loses, and the player with the lowest score wins.

Crazy Eights vs Switch (UK Version)

The UK variant known as Switch or Blackjack has several key differences from the American Crazy Eights:

Rule	Crazy Eights	Switch (UK)
Wild card	8 (changes suit)	Ace (changes suit)
Pick up card	None in basic version	2 (pick up 2)
Power Jack	None	Black Jack = pick up 5
Stacking	No	Yes - 2s and Black Jacks stack
8 card effect	Wild	Skip next player
Jokers	Not used	Ultimate wild card
Last card	No declaration needed	Must declare "Last Card"

Crazy Eights Variations

Draw Until You Can Play: Instead of drawing one card and passing, keep drawing until you have a playable card. This dramatically changes hand sizes during the game.

Switch and Skip Eights: Some house rules allow eights to skip the next player in addition to being wild.

Scoring Variation: Play to a set number of rounds rather than a points threshold.

Play Switch Online

LDN Blackjack is a free online version of Switch using London house rules. Play against friends with a room code, or use Quick Match to find opponents automatically. No download required - play at ldnblackjack.com.