Around Abbys Table: Playing Crazy 8s

Description: All you need is a deck of playing cards for this classic family card game...


Published: 11/15/2020
Byline: Hart

Around Abby's Table

Crazy Eights

As a kid I got to spend time over summer vacation and spring break in Ft. Morgan visiting my grandparents. I always looked forward to the time I got to be with Grandma and Grandpa Moody. I loved their house on West Street. It seemed so big and had many rooms to explore. Grandma had a beautiful flower garden and Grandpa kept the lawn mowed so soft. They even had a satellite dish, the big kind that you moved, so we could watch TV from all over the place. Grandma took us for rides, to the swimming pool and park. Grandpa fell asleep watching TV (snoring and all, we could hear him from anywhere in the house), but when you went to change the channel he would yell “I was watching that.” when you tried to change it.

I miss the days of sitting at the table in their kitchen; playing games, watching the birds at the feeder and rainbows from the crystals dance across the table, walls, and floor. Grandma loved to play cards. One of our favorites to play together was Crazy Eights. One spring break we even kept count of the number of hands we played and who won the most hands. I don't remember today who that was, but I bet it was Grandma. She was a good card player. I enjoyed every single game we played together, and am glad I can pass these games on to my children and all of you.

Crazy Eights is a fun and easy card game to play. It is one that even young kids can understand and play. If you have ever played Uno you are already familiar with the rules of Crazy Eights. Unlike Uno though there are no reverses, skips, or draw +2 cards, but like Uno there are wild cards. All four 8s are wild and can change the suit that is being played.

Rules:

  1. Get a deck of playing cards, and remove the Jokers.

  2. Gather players. 2 or more.

  3. Dealer deals five cards to each player

  4. 8s are wild and can change the suit being played to any other suit

  5. After cards are dealt, the top card is flipped over, and the remainder of the deck is placed face down next to the face up card. If it is a 6 of Hearts then the suit to be played is hearts, for example.

  6. The player to the left of the dealer is first. They play a card that matches the number or suit of the top card.

        • In this case the top card is the 6 of hearts. A heart or a six can be played.

        • Or a wild card(A Crazy 8) can be played to change from hearts.

        • If the player cannot play a card they must draw from the deck until they draw a card that plays.

        • The player may also from the deck even if they have cards that play in their hand.

      1. The card is placed on the top card, and it is the player to the lefts turn

      2. Once you get down to one card, you have to knock on the table. If you do not knock and another player calls you out, you have to draw a card.

      3. First player out of cards wins.

      4. Repeat hands until played out

      5. Have fun with your friends and family.

        • If while playing your hand you run out of cards to draw from keep the top card and flip the deck over and keep playing. House rules in regards to reshuffling the deck.

I got so much more than a game out those hours around Grandma's table with cards in our hands. I got time with Grandma and Grandpa, another lesson in the real value of family, the love of a good game, and learned Grandpa was good at BSing (Bluffing Successfully, haha). Something I want my kids to have. That is why I enjoy sitting around the table having dinner, playing cards, or marbles as a family. And, I hope someday when they look back they got something more than a good meal or a good game too. I hope they carry that love of family with them. Go get a deck of cards, gather the family and play around your table. And, enjoy each other even the BS.



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