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WHAT IS THE CARD GAME EIGHTS

Number of Players: 2 to 8. The game is best for 2, 3 or 4. In the 4-handed game, the players who sit across the table from each other are partners. The Deal: Seven cards to each player in the 2-handed game; 5 cards to each player when more than 2 are playing. The rest of the cards are put face down on the table as the stock, and the top card is turned face up to begin another pile. The Play: The player to the left of the dealer must match the card that has been turned up. That is, he must put down a card of the same suit or of the same rank. For example, suppose that the card first turned up is the 9 of spades. The first player must put down another spade or another 9. The newly-played card is placed on top of the turn-up card, thus putting it up to the next player. It is up to the next player to match the new card either in suit or in rank. The four 8's are wild. That is, you may play an 8 at any time, when it is your turn. When putting down an 8, you

are allowed to call it any suit at all, as you please. For example, you might put down the 8 of hearts and say "Spade." This would call upon the next player to follow with a spade in order to match your card. If you cannot play, you must draw cards from the top of the stock until you are able to play or until there are no more cards left in the stock. You are allowed to draw cards from the stock, at your turn, even if you are able to play without drawing. This is sometimes a good idea. Object: To get rid of all of your cards. The first player to get rid of all of his cards wins.

*Sometimes a hand ends in a block with nobody able to play, and with no person having played out. The hand is then won by the player with the smallest number of cards. If 2 or more players tie for this honor, the hand is declared a tie.

Skillful Play: The most important principle is not to play an 8 too quickly. If you waste an 8 when you are not really in trouble, you won't have it to save you when the going gets really tough. The time that you really need an 8 to protect yourself is when you have been run out of a suit. For example, after several spades have been played, you may be unable to get another spade even if you draw every single card in the stock. If you are also unable to match the rank of the card that has been put down, you may be forced to pick up the entire stock before you can pass your turn. From here on, of course, it will be very hard for you to avoid a disastrous defeat. An 8 will save you from this kind of misfortune, since you can put it down in place of a spade, and you may be able to call a suit that embarrasses an opponent just as much as the spade embarrassed you. If you're lucky, you won't have to play an 8 at the beginning, and you can save it to play out as your last card. If you're not quite as lucky as this, it is sensible to play the 8 as your next-to-last card. With a little luck, you will then be able to play your last card when your next turn comes, thus winning the hand. To play an 8 with more than 2 cards in your hand is seldom wise. It is usually better to draw a few cards from the stock in order to find a playable card. The best way to beat an opponent is to run him out of some suit. If you have several cards in one suit, chances are your opponent will be short in that suit. As often as you get the chance, you keep coming back to your long suit, pounding away at your opponent in this way until he is unable to match your card. If this is done often enough, your opponent will have to draw from the stock and may have to load himself up badly before he is able to play.

Related terms include hoyle card games and freecell card game.