TallynightHow to keep score in Crazy Eights
In Crazy Eights, the first player to get rid of every card wins the hand and scores the cards left in everyone else's hands. Eights are worth 50, so getting caught with one hurts. Play several hands, and the first to the target wins.
- Players
- 2 to 7, two decks for 6 or more
- Who wins
- First to the target, often 50 a player
- Dealt
- 5 cards each, 7 with two players
- Eights
- 50 points each
What the cards left in a hand are worth
When someone plays their last card, the hand is over. Count up every card the other players are still holding.
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Each 8 | 50 |
| King, queen, jack or 10 | 10 |
| Ace | 1 |
| 2 to 7 and 9 | Face value |
A hand with an 8, a king and a 4 is 50 + 10 + 4 = 64. Play your eights early if you're worried someone is about to go out.
Two ways to keep score
Crazy Eights has no single official rulebook, and tables score it one of two ways. Both use the card values above.
- The winner scores (the classic way): the player who went out scores the total of every other player's cards, and everyone else scores 0 for that hand. The first to the target wins, so the highest total is best.
- Penalty points (popular with families): everyone scores the cards left in their own hand, and the player who went out scores 0. When someone reaches 100, the lowest total wins.
What to play to
Agree a target before you start. For the winner-scores way, a common rule of thumb is 50 points for each player: 100 for two players, 150 for three, 200 for four and 250 for five. For penalty points, 100 is usual.
When the stock runs out
Most tables shuffle the played cards, all but the top one, into a new stock and carry on. If you play without a reshuffle and every player has to pass, the hand is blocked.
In a blocked hand, the player holding the fewest points scores the difference between their hand and each other player's hand. With penalty points, everyone scores their own hand as usual.
House rules
- Queens skip, aces reverse, 2s make the next player draw two: these change the play, not the scoring. If the last card played is one of them, its effect doesn't happen.
- Last card: forget to say it when you're down to one card, and you draw two.
- Crazy Eights Countdown: everyone starts on 8 and is dealt 8 cards. Each time you go out, your score drops by 1 and you're dealt that many cards next hand. The first to reach 0 wins.
Uno is the boxed cousin of Crazy Eights, with its own cards and its own scoring.
A scoring example
Three players, the winner-scores way, playing to 150. The second column shows what the other two were holding when someone went out.
| Hand | Who went out | Ana | Ben | Cleo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ana. Ben holds 64, Cleo 18 | 82 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Cleo. Ana holds 12, Ben 22 | 0 | 0 | 34 |
| 3 | Ben. Ana holds 55, Cleo 28 | 0 | 83 | 0 |
| 4 | Ana. Ben holds 16, Cleo 53 | 69 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 151 | 83 | 34 |
Hand 1: Ben's 8, king and 4 are 50 + 10 + 4 = 64, and Cleo's queen, 7 and ace are 10 + 7 + 1 = 18, so Ana scores 82. Ana passes 150 in hand 4 and wins with 151.
Scored the penalty way, the same four hands give Ana 67, Ben 102 and Cleo 99. Ben has passed 100, so the game ends, and Ana still wins, this time with the lowest score.
Keep score for Crazy Eights in Tallynight
Crazy Eights isn't one of Tallynight's built-in games yet, but it takes a minute to set up. Choose Something else and call it Crazy Eights. Under How you score, pick Rounds, where everyone scores each round.
For the winner-scores way, pick Highest under Who wins and turn on Play to a target, at 50 for each player. For penalty points, pick Lowest and a target of 100. Tap the star to Add to favourites so it's ready next time, then Start game.
- Everyone's points for the hand on one keypad, with 0 for anyone who didn't score
- Offers to end the game when someone reaches the target
- Tap any hand to fix a miscount
- A winner card with a podium for the family chat
A Crazy Eights score sheet to print
Playing on paper tonight? Print a free Crazy Eights score sheet, or save it as a PDF.
Questions
How do you score Crazy Eights?
The player who goes out scores the cards left in everyone else's hands: 50 for each 8, 10 for kings, queens, jacks and 10s, 1 for an ace, and face value for the rest. The first to the target wins.
How many points is an 8 worth in Crazy Eights?
50. It's the most valuable card to be caught holding, so play your eights before someone goes out.
How many points do you play to in Crazy Eights?
A common rule of thumb is 50 for each player: 100 for two, 150 for three, 200 for four. Playing with penalty points, the game usually ends at 100.
Do you want a high or low score in Crazy Eights?
It depends how you score. If the winner of each hand scores, high is good. If everyone scores their own hand as penalty points, the lowest total wins.
What happens if the deck runs out in Crazy Eights?
Most tables shuffle the played cards, all but the top one, into a new stock. If nobody can play and there's no reshuffle, the player with the fewest points in hand scores the difference from each other hand.