Mau Mau rules: how to play
Updated October 1, 2026
Mau Mau is the German-speaking world's version of Crazy Eights: a shedding game where you match the top card by suit or rank and race to empty your hand. It is usually played with a 32-card deck, the jacks are wild, and you must say 'Mau' when you have one card left — and 'Mau-Mau' when you play it.
This guide covers the standard rules, the special cards most families use, and how Mau Mau compares with its cousins Crazy Eights, Switch and Last Card. Rules vary from house to house, so agree on the special cards before the first deal.
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What you need
A 32-card deck (7 through ace in four suits), as used for Skat, for 2–5 players. With a standard 52-card deck, either take out the 2s to 6s or play with the full deck for longer rounds. For six or more players, shuffle two 32-card decks together.
The deal
- Deal 5 cards to each player in the most common rules (some families deal 6).
- Place the rest face down as the draw pile and turn the top card face up to start the discard pile.
- The player to the dealer's left goes first, and play continues clockwise.
Taking a turn
- Play one card that matches the top card of the discard pile by suit or by rank.
- If you can't play — or choose not to — draw one card. In most rules you may play it straight away if it fits; otherwise your turn ends.
- When the draw pile runs out, keep the top discard, shuffle the rest and turn them face down as the new draw pile.
The special cards
- Jack (Bube) — wild. Play it on any card except another jack in most rules, and name the suit the next player must follow.
- 7 — the next player draws two cards and loses their turn, unless they play a 7 of their own, which passes four cards to the player after them (and so on).
- 8 — the next player is skipped.
- Ace or 9 — in some households an ace also skips or a 9 reverses direction. These are house rules; agree on them first.
Saying 'Mau' and 'Mau-Mau'
When you play your second-to-last card, say 'Mau'. When you play your last card and win, say 'Mau-Mau'. Forget either call and the usual penalty is drawing one or two cards, depending on the house. If your last card is a jack, many families play that you can't go out on it — you must draw instead — so plan your final two cards.
Winning and scoring
The first player to empty their hand wins the round. To play a longer game, the other players count the cards left in their hands — either one point per card, or a points value per card agreed before you start — and the lowest total after an agreed number of rounds wins.
Mau Mau vs Crazy Eights, Switch and Last Card
All four are shedding games built on the same match-the-suit-or-rank idea. The differences are in which card is wild and which cards attack:
- Crazy Eights (US) — 52 cards; 8s are wild and name a suit; in many families 2s make the next player draw two.
- Mau Mau (Germany, Austria) — 32 cards; jacks are wild; 7s draw two and stack; 8s skip.
- Switch (UK) — 52 cards; aces change the suit; 2s pick up two and stack; 8s miss a turn; in many versions a black jack picks up five and a red jack cancels it. Call 'last card' before your final card.
- Last Card (Australia, New Zealand) — very close to Switch, with the call the game is named after.
Strategy that wins
- Keep a jack for your last two cards. A wild that names your remaining suit is the cleanest way out — just don't leave it as your very last card if your house forbids finishing on a jack.
- Save a 7 to answer a 7. A counter-7 turns a two-card penalty into four cards for the next player.
- Watch what the player on your left can't follow. If they drew on hearts, play hearts at them.
- Count the jacks: four exist in a 32-card deck, and once they are gone, suits can't be changed.
Play a Mau Mau-style game online
Prism Riot's Crazy Eights tables use the same match-and-shed rules with one wild rank and a draw-two card, free in your browser against the computer. Eights Duel is head-to-head, Eights Trio adds a third player, and Draw Hunt plays draw-until-you-can-play.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards do you deal in Mau Mau?
Five each in the most common rules, from a 32-card deck. Some families deal six.
What does the jack do in Mau Mau?
The jack is wild: play it on almost any card and name the suit the next player must follow. In most rules you can't play a jack on a jack.
What does a 7 do in Mau Mau?
The next player must draw two cards and miss their turn, unless they play a 7 too, which passes four cards on to the next player.
Is Mau Mau the same as Crazy Eights?
It's the same family. Crazy Eights makes the 8s wild with a 52-card deck; Mau Mau usually uses 32 cards, makes jacks wild, and adds attacking 7s and skipping 8s.
What is the UK version of Mau Mau?
Switch (sometimes called Blackjack or Black Jack in the UK) uses aces to change suit, 2s to pick up two, 8s to miss a turn and, in many versions, a black jack that picks up five.