Hollywood Eights

The Pack

The standard 52-card pack is used.

The Deal

Deal cards clockwise one at a time, face down, beginning with the player to the left with each person receiving five cards. The balance of the pack is placed face down in the center of the table and forms the stock. The dealer turns up the top card and places it in a separate pile; this card is the “starter.” If an eight is turned, it is buried in the middle of the pack and the next card is turned.

The Play

Starting to the dealer’s left, each participant in turn must place one card face up on the starter pile. Each card played (other than an eight) must match the card showing on the starter pile, either in suit or in denomination. Thus, if the Q of clubs is the starter, any club may be played on it or any queen.

If unable to play, cards are drawn from the top of the stock until a play is possible, or until the stock is exhausted. If unable to play when the stock is exhausted, the player must pass. A player may draw from the stock even though there may be a playable card in the player’s hand.

All eights are wild! That is, an eight may be played at any time in turn, and the player need only specify a suit for it (but never a number). The next player must play either a card of the specified suit or an eight.

How to Keep Score

The first player to 100 points wins a game. Each eight = 20 points Ace = 15 points Face cards = 10 points Lower cards = pip value.

Set a score sheet up for three simultaneous games. The first hand won by each player is scored only in Game 1. The second hand won is scored in Games 1 and 2. The third and all subsequent wins are scored in all three games. When any of these games ends, Game 4 may be opened up, and so on.