Crazy Eights strategy and tips to go out first
Crazy Eights is quick, but a few choices each turn decide who goes out first. These ideas keep your options open and help you stop your rivals.
1. When should you play an 8?
Hold it as long as you can. An 8 is the only card you can always play, so save it for when you have no other move, or to stop a player who is about to go out. Playing an 8 early just to change the suit usually wastes it.
2. Change to your longest suit
When you do play an 8, name the suit you hold the most of. That gives you several turns of guaranteed plays while other players may have to draw.
3. Switch suits by rank
Matching by rank lets you change the suit without an 8. If you hold the 5 of spades and the pile shows the 5 of hearts, switching to spades can set up your next few turns.
4. Watch the other hands
Notice which suits players draw on, because they don’t have them. When someone is down to one or two cards, switch to a suit they’ve been missing.
5. Unload high-value cards
If someone else goes out, the cards in your hand count against you. When you have a choice late in a round, play face cards and eights before low cards.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Playing an 8 when a normal card would do.
- Naming a suit you only hold one card of.
- Ignoring a player who is down to their last card.
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