What are the rules of Uno?
Uno is a popular card game that is played with a standard deck of 108 cards. The rules of Uno are as follows:
The game is played with 2 to 10 players.
At the beginning of the game, each player is dealt 7 cards.
The remaining cards are placed face down in the middle of the table to form a draw pile. The top card of the draw pile is turned over and placed beside the draw pile to form a discard pile.
The first player to go is the one to the left of the dealer. Play proceeds clockwise.
To play a card, a player must match the color or the number of the card on top of the discard pile. If a player does not have a playable card, they must draw a card from the draw pile.
If a player draws a card they can play, they may immediately play it.
Certain cards have special actions:
- Reverse: Reverses the direction of play.
- Skip: Skips the next player's turn.
- Draw Two: Forces the next player to draw two cards and skip their turn.
- Wild: Can be played on any color and allows the player to choose the color of play.
- Wild Draw Four: Can be played on any color and forces the next player to draw four cards and skip their turn.
If a player has only one card left in their hand, they must say "Uno" to alert the other players. If a player fails to say "Uno" and is caught, they must draw two cards from the draw pile.
The first player to get rid of all their cards is the winner. The game ends when one player reaches 500 points, or when the draw pile runs out of cards.
Scoring is done by adding up the points of the cards remaining in each player's hand at the end of the game. The winner of the game is the one with the lowest score. Number cards are worth their face value, while special cards are worth 20 points each.
Can you play a wild card, instead of drawing two and skipping your turn, after a draw two has been played?
No, in Uno, if a player is forced to draw two cards due to a Draw Two card being played, they must draw the two cards and then skip their turn. A Wild card cannot be played in place of the Draw Two card. However, if a player has both a Draw Two card and a Wild card in their hand, they can choose to play either card, but they must specify the color of play when playing the Wild card.
Can you play a card immediately after drawing it?
Yes, in Uno, if a player draws a card from the draw pile and the card is playable, they can immediately play it during their turn. This is a strategic move that can help a player get rid of their cards faster and increase their chances of winning the game. However, if a player draws a card and it is not playable, they must add it to their hand and their turn ends.
Can you play a reverse on top of a reverse?
Yes, in Uno, you can play a Reverse card on top of another Reverse card. When a second Reverse card is played, the direction of play changes again, so if the game was going clockwise, it would switch to counterclockwise and vice versa. It's important to note that if only two players are playing, Reverse cards have no effect, as there is no one to reverse the direction of play to.
Can you play a draw four over the previous player's draw four card?
According to the official rules of Uno, a player can play a Draw Four Wild card over the previous player's Draw Four Wild card, as long as the player has no other playable card that matches the color of the card previously played. However, doing so may be seen as a controversial move and can potentially lead to arguments or disputes between players. Some players choose to follow a "house rule" where a Draw Four Wild card can only be played when the player has no other playable cards, regardless of the previous card played.
Can you play a draw two over the previous player's draw two?
No, in Uno, a player cannot play a Draw Two card on top of another Draw Two card. If a player has to draw cards because of a previous player's Draw Two card, they must draw the appropriate number of cards and then skip their turn. The same applies if a player has to draw cards because of a Draw Four Wild card - they must draw four cards and skip their turn, and the next player cannot play another Draw Two or Draw Four Wild card to make them draw even more cards. The only exception to this is if the player has another Draw Two or Draw Four Wild card in their hand, in which case they can play it and the next player will have to draw the appropriate number of cards and skip their turn.
What are some common house rules?
There are many variations of house rules for Uno that players may choose to follow to make the game more interesting or challenging. Here are some common house rules:
Stacking: Allows a player to play a card with the same number or action on top of another card of the same number or action. For example, a player could play a Draw Two card on top of another Draw Two card, forcing the next player to draw four cards and skip their turn.
Seven-0: When a player plays a Seven card, they can swap hands with another player of their choice. When a player plays a Zero card, all players pass their hands to the player on their right or left, depending on the direction of play.
Jump-In: Allows a player to play a card out of turn if they have the exact same card as the one on top of the discard pile. This rule speeds up the game and adds a layer of strategy.
Progressive Uno: Players must keep track of the number of games won, and the first player to win a certain number of games (usually three) is declared the overall winner.
No Bluffing: Players are not allowed to play a card that they could have played earlier in the game but chose not to. This rule prevents players from holding onto their cards and makes the game more challenging.
No Discard Pile Pick-Up: Players are not allowed to pick up the entire discard pile and add it to their hand. This rule prevents players from hoarding cards and makes the game more fair.
It's important to note that house rules can vary widely and should be agreed upon by all players before the start of the game to avoid confusion or disagreements during play.
