Jose's Page on Ocho Locos!
(Crazy Eights)
This page is dedicated to my brother
Wilfredo with whom I played the game many times in our
childhood...
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Ocho Locos
This is a variation of the Crazy Eights game the way it's played
in Puerto Rico, where the object is to win the best out of 8 games,
in an Ocho Locos match. In case of a 4-4 tie, a tie breaker is
played. Ocho Locos uses a standard 52 card pack, with 1 or 2 optional
Jokers. Suits in Spanish are "espadas, corazones, trebol , diamantes"
(for spades, hearts, clubs and diamonds).
Players: Two or three play each by themselves. Four, two against
two as partners, facing each other.
The Deal: In the first game of the 8-game match, dealer gives each
player eight cards, one at a time in order to his right
(counter-clockwise), instead of to the left as in most other games
(most games in Puerto Rico are played counter-clockwise due to our
Spanish origins, from where card games are played to the right). In
the second game he deals seven cards to each player, in the third
game six cards and so on dealing one card less per game until the
eighth game where he only deals one card per player. In case of a tie
breaker, he also deals one card per player. First dealer is chosen at
random, then the player to his right deals the next game and so on.
In each game dealer also deals a face up card into the discard pile.
If this card is an eight, dealer must nominate ("la cambio a ...")
the suit which must be played first (without looking at his hand).
The Play: Starting with the player to dealer's right, and
continuing counter-clockwise, each player in turn must either play a
legal card face up on top of the discard pile, or draw a card from
the undealt stock.
The following plays are legal:
- If the top card of the discard pile is not an eight, you may
play any card which matches the rank or suit of the previous card
(for example if the top card was the king of hearts you could play
any king or any heart).
- An eight may be played on any card, and the player of the
eight must nominate ("la cambio a ...") a suit, which must be
played next.
- If an eight is on top of the pile, you may play any card of
the suit nominated by the person who played the eight.
- Jokers (if used) are draw four cards, and may be played on any
card. If the top card of the discard pile is a joker (and it's
your turn to play a card, and not to draw), you must play any card
which matches the rank or suit of the card played previous to the
joker.
Drawing Cards:
- In the normal game, you may always use your turn to draw a
card ("robate una"), and the drawn card can not be played
immediately even if it is a legal play. If you don't have any
cards you can legally play, you must draw, and you are never
bounded to play any card you can legally play, you can choose to
draw instead.
- Jokers (if used) are draw four cards ("robate cuatro"), and
may be played on any card. If the top card of the discard pile is
a joker, you must play any card which matches the rank or suit of
the card played previous to the joker, and if the joker was the
first card dealt into the discard pile, the first player must play
another joker, any two, or draw four cards. If no twos are played
on the joker, the next player can play any card he pleases as no
suit was fixed before the opening joker.
- When a two is played the next player must either draw two
cards ("robate dos"), play another two or play a joker. If several
consecutive twos or jokers have been played the next player must
either play another two or a joker, or draw two cards for each two
in the sequence, and four for each joker.
- If at any time the stock is depleted, dealer removes all cards
from the discard pile, except for the top card which is the only
one he keeps in the new discard pile, reshuffles these removed
cards from the discard pile and makes them the new stock.
Skip
- When an ace or a four is played, the next player in rotation
misses a turn, and the turn passes to the following player.
Therefore, in 2-player games, the same player goes again, and in
4-payer games your partner gets to play the next card.
- When a jack is played, all the other players miss a turn, and
the same player goes again.
- You must draw a card after you play your last card
("¡Ultima!") if it is a jack, (and for an ace or four in
2-player games) since its your turn again, and you do not have
anymore cards to play.
Last Card
- You must alert the other players (call aloud "¡Ultima!")
when you have just one card left. If you fail to do so you must
draw one card from the stock as a penalty. No "¡Ultima!" call
is required for the eighth 1-card game or the tie breaker game
right after dealer gives each player their one card.
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Other Crazy Eights pages in the net:
Other Card Games in the net:
Other of my Games pages in the net:
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