How to play UNO, the fan-favorite card game

Game night is always a good idea. If you want a surefire way to guarantee you and your loved ones have a great time, breaking out a colorful UNO card set is the move.

Over the years, Robert P. Dickey, CEO of AQ Marketing, Inc. in Woburn, MA, has collected various editions of UNO, hosting numerous game nights centered on the cherished game.

It’s safe to say Dickey is not alone in his love of UNO. The popular game has become a worldwide phenomenon since its debut in 1971, most recently igniting celebrity obsession from Taylor Swift to Beyoncé. Personally, Dickey is all about mastering UNO strategies and variations to have fun with the game, and if you’re about that ethos, then you’ve come to the right place.

Keep reading to learn more about UNO and how to stack the deck in your favor.

What is UNO?

As Dickey puts it, UNO is more than just a game; it’s a tool that brings people together, encouraging light-hearted competition and strategic thinking.

Normally stylized in all caps lock font as UNO, the now-classic game is a proprietary American shedding-type card game created by Merle Robbins, says Lucas Wyland, a founder of Steambase, a game analytics platform which now has over 55,000 games. Robbins developed the game in 1971 in Reading, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati and, per Wyland, it is inspired by the “Crazy Eights” family of card games, rooted in “Mau-Mau,” a traditional German game. So how do you win? “The game’s objective is to become the first player to score 500 points by playing all your cards and scoring points for the cards held by other players,” adds Wyland.

What do you need to play UNO?

You only need the special UNO deck of cards to get your game of UNO started.

The 108 cards in UNO Card deck are broken down as follows:

• 76 number cards

• 24 action cards

• 8 wild cards (such as “Wild” and “Wild Draw Four”)

The 100 “number” and “action” cards are divided evenly into four color suits: Red, yellow, green and blue.

How to play UNO

Chomping at the bit to play? With no further ado, Wyland outlines the simple rules for playing UNO:

1. Deal the cards

Each player gets seven cards, dealt face down. Place the remaining cards in a draw pile, and flip over the top card to create a discard pile. It’s important to note that Uno has four Special Action Cards.

• Skip: Playing this card skips the next player’s turn.

• Reverse: This card changes the direction of play.

• Draw Two: This card makes the next player draw two cards. The player can play a Special Action card to pass on the penalty to the next player. For instance, playing the Reverse card sets the game in the reverse direction. Playing another Draw Two card makes the next player pick four cards.

• Wild: Choose any color for the next player to match.

2. Gameplay

The player to the dealer’s left starts the game, which proceeds clockwise. Match the top card of the discard pile by number, color or action (Skip/Reverse). If you have a Wild card, you can play it to change the color in play. If you can’t play a card, draw one from the pile. If the drawn card matches, continue playing. Otherwise, your turn ends.

3. Winning the round

The game continues until a player has one card. When you’re down to one card, shout, “Uno.” If you forget, you’ll draw two cards as a penalty. The first player to play all their cards wins the round. You maintain scores (count of the other players) until you reach 500 to win the game; number cards (0-9) are worth their face value; Draw 2, Reverse and Skip cards are worth 20 points; Wild and Wild Draw 4 cards are worth 50 points.

Tips for playing UNO

“UNO needs luck, a dash of suspense, and thoughtful strategy,” says Wyland. Here are a few simple techniques to enhance your UNO strategy.

Count cards.

Wyland recommends employing this strategy of tracking the cards already played so you can adjust your M.O. accordingly. “Try to remember the colors and numbers that have been played frequently to strategize your moves,” echoes Dickey.

Use your action cards wisely.

“Skilled use of the action cards can change the game,” stresses Wyland. That’s why Wyland and Dickey are of the mentality that you have to be savvy with how you implement them into your game. Wyland recommends keeping your special cards for critical moments, especially when you notice other players are down to a few cards.

Team-up with fellow players.

As Dickey points out, a nimble UNO player should adapt their play based on the number of players, as more players mean the game could shift direction often. It can pay to befriend others gathered ‘round the card pile: “In larger games, cooperate with players across the circle to control the flow of cards,” says Dickey.

Who can play UNO?

In short, UNO is suitable for a wide audience. Ideally, players from the age group of seven and above can play UNO, says Wyland. In any given game, you’ll need between two-to-10 players. Typically, an UNO game lasts between five and 15 minutes, depending on the number of players and their strategies, says Wyland; so younger children with a shorter attention span may only want to play a round or two before moving onto their next activity.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com