Mau-Mau card game rules

General Rules of Mau-Mau

• Mau-Mau can be played with as few as 2 players and with large groups. There is no maximum number of participants.
• The game is played with a piquet deck of 32 playing cards. The cards 2 through 6 and jokers are removed.
• If you’re playing with up to 4 players, use one deck of cards. With 5 or more players, you can add an extra deck.
• Each player receives the same number of cards at the beginning of the game, usually 5 or 6.
• The objective of the game is to get rid of all your cards. The first player to do so is the winner.

Gameplay of Mau-Mau

• The undealt cards form the draw pile.
• After dealing, the dealer turns over the top card of the draw pile to start the discard pile.
• The game starts clockwise, with the player to the left of the dealer going first.
• A player may play a card of the same suit or the same rank as the last card on the discard pile. For example, if a hearts 9 is on top, a player may play either a hearts card or another 9. Special action cards may also be played, as explained later.
• If a player cannot play a card from their hand, they must draw a card from the draw pile. If this card can be played, they may play it immediately.
• When you have only one card left, you must announce it by saying “Mau-Mau”. This is similar to saying “Uno” in Uno. If you forget, you must draw a penalty of usually 5 cards.
• If the draw pile runs out, the discard pile (except for the top card) is shuffled and becomes the new draw pile.

Action cards in Mau-Mau

Mau-Mau includes special action cards, which have unique effects:

• If you play a 7, the next player has to draw two cards but can still play a card. In one game variant, you can play a 7 on top of another 7. If you do, the next player must take 4 cards, unless they also play a 7. In that case, the next player must take six cards, unless they play a 7 too, and so on.
• An 8 forces the next player to skip their turn. In a variant, you can play an 8 on top of another 8. If you do, the next player must also play an 8 or skip their turn, and this continues until no more 8s can be played.
• A Jack of any suit acts like a Joker and can be played on any card. When you play a Jack, you choose the suit, and the next player must continue as if the Jack belongs to that suit.
• If a queen is played the direction of the game is reversed.
• If you play an Ace, you must play one additional card with it. If you don’t have another card or can’t follow the suit or number, you must draw a card from the deck. If your last card is an Ace, you cannot win on that turn. In this case you have to take a card from the draw pile after you have discarded the Ace.

There are numerous variants of Mau-Mau where the rules are a bit different. These are the most commonly used rules, but feel free to adjust them to your preferences and make the game even more fun!