Vändåtta

This page is based on information from Carl Svensson of casinointernet.se.

Introduction

Vändåtta ("turn eight") is the Swedish version of the game Crazy Eights. As in other versions of this game, players try to get rid of all their cards onto a discard pile by playing a card of the same rank or suit as the previous card.

Players and Cards

A standard 52-card pack is used. Vändåtta is best for 3-5 players, but it is possible for two people to play. If more than five people want to play, it is advisable to play with two decks shuffled together.

Deal and play are clockwise.

Deal

The dealer deals out the cards one at a time around the table until each player has seven cards. The remainder of the deck is stacked face down on the table to form a draw pile. The dealer turns the top card of the draw pile face up and puts it alongside to begin the discard pile.

Play

The player to dealer's left begins and players take turns clockwise around the table.

Eights and Aces are special cards: all other cards are ordinary cards.

If the top card of the discard pile is an ordinary card you have the following options:

14. Play a single ordinary card of the same rank or suit as the top card.
15. Play several ordinary cards, all of the same rank. The first card played must match the suit or rank of the top card of the discard pile. The last card played will determine the suit to be followed by the next player.
16. Play an Ace of the same suit as the top card. This forces each of the other players in turn to draw one card from the top of the draw deck. Then the player who played the Ace takes another turn.
17. Play an Eight of any suit - it does not have to match the suit of the top card - and announce the suit that must be played next - which may be different from the suit of the Eight.
18. If you cannot or do not wish to play any of your cards, draw the top card of the draw pile and add it to your hand. After doing this you must either play according to one of options 1-4 above or draw another card. You can draw up to three cards on your turn. After drawing the third card you must either play a card to the discard pile or pass. If the top card of the pile is an Ace (either because it was the card turned up after the deal, or because you just played an Ace yourself), you can either play another Ace, forcing everyone else to pick up another card and giving yourself another turn, or play one or more ordinary cards as in option 1 or 2 above, or draw cards as in option 5. You cannot play an Eight on an Ace.

If the top card of the pile is an Eight, the next card must be an ordinary card in the suit nominated by the person who played the Eight. You cannot play an Eight or an Ace directly on an Eight. If you cannot or do not wish to play an ordinary card of the required suit, you must draw cards as in option 5 above until you either play a card, or pass if you are still unable or unwilling to play after drawing three cards.

The first player who gets rid of all his or her cards wins the game. However, a player is not allowed to win by playing an Eight or Ace as his or her last card. If your only card is an Ace or Eight you must draw a card on your turn.

If after playing you have just one ordinary card, or all your cards are ordinary cards of equal rank, you must warn the other players that you may be able to win at your next turn by saying "lappen". If you fail to do so, you must draw three cards as a penalty.

Scoring

It is usual to play a Vändåtta for points. When a player wins, the other players scores penalty points for the cards remaining in their hands. Eights score 10 points each, Aces score 5 points each and all other cards score 1 point each. The player who has the lowest score after an agreed number of deals in the overall winner.

Variations

Some players require that when playing several cards at once, the first of those cards must be the same suit (not rank) as the top card of the discard pile. For example on the ♠9 you can play ♠4, ♢4 but not ♣9, ♢9.

Some players do not allow an Ace to be played on an Ace. After an Ace the next card must be an ordinary card of the same suit as the Ace.

Some play that the call of "lappen" is only required when you have just one ordinary card. If your last cards are several ordinary cards of the same rank you can use them to win without prior warning.