Mau Mau

Germany’s favorite race to empty your hand, with 32 cards. Match suit or rank: 7s make the next player draw two, 8s skip them, and jacks are wild. 2–5 players.

Also known as Mau-Mau and Mau.

Who To Play With

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How to play Mau Mau

  1. 1Mau Mau uses 32 cards, the 7s up to the aces. Everyone gets five cards (six each with two players), and one card turns up to start the pile.
  2. 2On your turn, lay a card that matches the top of the pile in suit or in rank. If you can’t, or would rather not, draw a card. You may play it straight away if it fits; otherwise pass.
  3. 3A 7 makes the next player draw two cards, unless they lay a 7 as well. Then the player after them owes four, and so on. Drawing ends your turn.
  4. 4An 8 makes the next player miss a turn.
  5. 5Jacks are wild: lay one on anything except another jack, then name the suit to follow.
  6. 6With one card left you’re on Mau. Play your last card and the round is over.
  7. 7Everyone else then adds up the cards left in their hand: jacks 20, aces 11, 10s, 9s, 8s and 7s their number, kings 4 and queens 3.
  8. 8When the stock runs out, the pile (all but its top card) is shuffled into a new stock.
  9. 9Once someone reaches 100 points, the game ends and the player with the fewest points wins.

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