Palace
A fast-paced shedding card game where players race to get rid of all their cards before their opponents. Each player starts with a mix of face-down, face-up, and hand cards, playing in turns to follow or beat the previous card played.
Number of Players
- 2 players: Use one standard 52-card deck
- 3–5 players: Use two standard decks shuffled together
The Pack and Card Ranks
Cards rank from Ace (high) down to 3:
A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3
- 2s reset the pile.
- 10s clear the pile completely and remove it from the game.
Objective
Be the first player to play all of your cards, including hand cards, face-up cards, and face-down cards.
Setup
- Deal three cards face-down to each player. These remain hidden until the end.
- Deal six cards face-down to each player for their hand. Players may look at these.
- Each player selects three cards from their hand and places them face-up on top of the face-down cards in front of them.
- Tip: Place high-ranking or special cards (like 2s or 10s) face up.
- Place the remaining cards in the center as the draw pile.
Starting the Game
- Flip over the top card of the draw pile to start the discard pile.
- The first player must play a card equal to or higher than the top discard.
- Players may play multiple cards of the same rank if possible.
Gameplay
- After playing, draw back up to 3 cards from the draw pile (if possible).
- You must play if you can. If you cannot play a legal card, pick up the entire discard pile and add it to your hand.
- Once the draw pile runs out, continue playing from your hand only—no more drawing.
Special Cards
| Card | Action |
|---|---|
| 2 | Can be played on any card. Resets the discard pile; the next player can play anything. |
| 10 | Can also be played at any time. It clears the discard pile—remove it from the game. Then take another turn. |
| Four of a Kind | If four cards of the same rank are played consecutively (by one or more players), the pile is cleared and removed from play. The next player starts a new pile with any card. |
Endgame Rules
After finishing the draw pile and your hand cards: - Play from your face-up cards in front of you. - After those are gone, move on to your face-down cards. - Pick one face-down card without looking and flip it. - If it can be played, do so. - If not, pick up the discard pile and add the flipped card to your hand. You must now play from your hand again.
Winning the Game
The first player to play all of their cards—hand, face-up, and face-down—is the winner.
Notes/Strategy
- House Rules: Players can add variations to the game, such as making certain cards wild or adding other special rules.
- Manage Your Hand: Keep track of what cards you have and try to save special cards for strategic moments.
- Play Low Cards Early: Try to play lower-value cards early to avoid picking up large piles.
- Remember Face-Down Cards: Remember which face-down cards you have to avoid picking up piles late in the game.
Hearts
Hearts is a classic four-player trick-taking card game where the aim is to avoid capturing certain cards that carry penalty points—mainly the hearts and the Queen of Spades. Known for its blend of tactics, memory, and “shooting the moon” moments, Hearts is easy to learn but offers deep strategic play. A Brief History of Hearts
Hearts dates back to the 18th century and evolved from the Spanish game “Reversis.” It gained popularity in America in the late 1800s and exploded further with the inclusion of digital Hearts in early versions of Microsoft Windows. Over time, it’s developed numerous variants, but the core mechanics remain true to the original: avoid points—or gather them all.
Objective of Hearts
The objective is to finish the game with the lowest total score. Players try to avoid capturing hearts (each worth 1 point) and the Queen of Spades (worth 13 points). However, if you manage to take all penalty cards in one round—a bold move called “shooting the moon”—your opponents get the points instead.
The Pack and Card Ranks
Hearts is played with a standard 52-card deck (no jokers). All cards rank from high to low: Ace (high) down to 2 (low). Suits are all equal in value, but hearts and the Queen of Spades carry scoring weight. How to Play Hearts: Step-by-Step Rules
Setup
- Players: 4
- Deck: Standard 52 cards
- Deal: Each player gets 13 cards
Passing Cards
- At the start of each hand, players pass three cards to another player.
- The pass direction rotates each round:
- Round 1: Left
- Round 2: Right
- Round 3: Across
- Round 4: No pass (then repeat cycle)
Playing Tricks
- The player with the 2 of Clubs leads the first trick.
- Each player must follow suit if able. If not, they can play any card—except:
- No hearts or the Queen of Spades may be played on the first trick.
- Hearts cannot be led until they’ve been “broken” (played in a previous trick).
Trick Rules
- Highest card of the lead suit wins the trick.
- The winner of the trick leads the next one.
- All captured cards are kept for scoring.
Shooting the Moon
- If one player takes all 13 hearts and the Queen of Spades in a round, they can “shoot the moon”:
- Instead of gaining 26 points, all other players each receive 26 points.
- Some versions allow the shooter to subtract 26 from their total instead.
Scoring in Hearts
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Each Heart | +1 |
| Queen of Spades | +13 |
| All Hearts + Q♠ (“Shoot the Moon”) | +0 (others +26) or –26 (shooter) |
- After each hand, players total their penalty points.
- The game usually ends when one player reaches 100 points or more.
- The player with the lowest score at that point wins.
Key Variations and House Rules
| Variation | Description |
|---|---|
| Jack of Diamonds Rule | Jack of Diamonds = –10 points (bonus) |
| Shooting the Sun | Taking all 52 cards scores –52 (rare and extreme) |
| No Moon Option | Remove the option to shoot the moon entirely |
| 3–6 Players | Rules adapt for more players by removing some cards |
Always agree on rule variations before the game starts.
Tips
- Try to void yourself of a suit early, so you can offload high cards later.
- Pass high hearts and the Queen of Spades if you’re not planning to shoot the moon.
- If someone’s trying to shoot the moon, work together to stop them.
Other info
For 3, 5, or 6 players, remove certain low cards to make an even deal.
The Queen of Spades and hearts cannot be played on the opening trick. How do I track who has which cards?
Watch what suits people stop following. Memory and deduction are key to good play.
Crazy Eights
A fast-paced shedding card game where players race to be the first to get rid of all their cards.
You can play cards that match the suit or rank of the top discard—or play an eight to change the suit. Strategic timing of wild cards and blocking opponents is key to winning.
The Pack and Card Ranks
Crazy Eights is typically played with a standard 52-card deck. For more than 4 players, use two decks.
Cards rank from Ace (high) down to 2 (low).
A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
- Eights are wild and can be played at any time to change the suit.
How to Play Crazy Eights: Step-by-Step Rules
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Setup
- Players: 2–5 (more with multiple decks)
- Each player is dealt 5 cards (7 in 2-player games)
- Place the rest face-down as the draw pile
- Flip the top card face-up to start the discard pile
-
Playing a Turn
- On your turn, you must play a card that matches the suit or rank of the top discard.
- If you cannot play, draw cards one at a time until you can or the draw pile runs out.
- You must play a card if you draw one that’s playable.
- If no cards can be played, pass your turn.
-
Wild Eights
- An 8 can be played at any time.
- After playing an 8, declare the suit that the next player must follow.
- You don’t need to match the previous card’s suit or rank when playing an 8.
-
Winning the Hand
- First player to discard all their cards wins the hand.
- Remaining players total their unplayed cards for scoring.
Scoring in Crazy Eights
| Card | Point Value |
|---|---|
| 8s (wild) | 50 points |
| Face cards (J, Q, K) | 10 points |
| Number cards | Face value |
| Aces | 1 point |
After a hand ends, the winner scores points based on the cards remaining in other players’ hands.
The game continues until a player reaches a target score (commonly 100 or 200), or play a fixed number of rounds.
Common Variations and House Rules
| Variation | Description |
|---|---|
| Reverse/Skip | Playing certain cards (e.g., Queen or 2) reverses play or skips the next player |
| Draw 2 or Draw 4 | Some versions allow 2s or other cards to force opponents to draw extra cards |
| Crazy Jacks | Jacks become wild instead of 8s (or both) |
| Progressive Crazy Eights | Stacked Draw 2s and Draw 4s can build up consequences |
| Pass on Draw | Players may draw one card only, and pass if it can’t be played |
Tips
- Keep your 8s for emergencies—they’re the most powerful and versatile cards.
- If someone plays an 8, suit-switch strategically to mess with your opponent’s hand.
- Crazy Eights is the direct ancestor of Uno, Skip-Bo, and similar modern card games.
- You can increase the chaos by adding jokers as “wild draw 4” cards in house rules.
Crazy Eights FAQs
- If the draw pile runs out shuffle the discard pile (except the top card) to form a new draw pile.
- If your last card is an 8, you declare the suit and win the round immediately.
- Only one 8 can be played at a time, and it resets the suit.
Black Jack / Switch
"Black Jack" is the name of a shedding card game which shares its name with the casino card game Blackjack, and is sometimes called 7 Card Blackjack to differentiate itself from the other game. It is a variant of Crazy Eights.
The Pack and Card Ranks
Crazy Eights is typically played with a standard 52-card deck. For more than 4 players, use two decks.
Cards rank from Ace (high) down to 2 (low) for matching purposes only.
Eights are wild and can be played at any time to change the suit.
How to Play Crazy Eights: Step-by-Step Rules
-
Setup
Players: 2–5 (more with multiple decks) Each player is dealt 7 cards (5 in more that 4-player games) Place the rest face-down as the draw pile Flip the top card face-up to start the discard pile
-
Playing a Turn
- On your turn, you must play a card that matches the suit or rank of the top discard.
- A player can place consecutive cards of the same suit down to remove more cards.
- If a player cannot take their turn, they pick up a card from the remaining deck.
- If a player makes an error the offending player must take back the card(s) they attempted to put down and pick up two more cards from the remaining deck as a penalty.
- Once the player has played their turn, they must say "Last card" if they only have one card left. If another player thinks that they can play their cards in one turn they say "cards". If they fail to do so, there is a penalty o9f two cards.
Magic Cards
| Card | Action |
|---|---|
| Aces | Nominate a new suit. |
| 2 | The next player is forced to pick up two cards unless they are able to lay another two, black Jack or an ace which makes the next player pick up the cards. Alternatively, a red Jack or an ace can be used to cancel the card pickup. |
| 7 | Reverses order of play. |
| 8 | The next player misses a turn unless they have an eight. |
| Black Jack | Black Jack causes the next player to pick up 5 cards, unless they can follow with another black Jack. If one red Jack is placed, one black Jack is cancelled. |
| Red Jack | One red Jack cancels one black Jack. |
Variants
Multiple cards can be placed on a single turn, where each card matches the previous card in rank or suit. There is no limit to the number of cards which can be played.