How to Play Uno

I first came across this card game many years ago while I was staying with my relatives in the Netherlands and I got well and truly hooked on it and we often found ourselves playing Uno into the early hours. There seemed to be a different attitude when it came to card games and board games then in this country and many nights we would visit friends, of friends would just drop in, and we would all sit around the table and plays games.

Rarely would a television be put on and the children were as involved as the adults in whatever game we would play and it does seem as we have all become used to sitting down in the evening and putting the 'telly' on which often ends conversation and stimulation.

There are variations of the game but a normal deck consists of four suits, wild cards and word cards which have directions to follow, making a total of 108 cards and can be played with up to ten players. With a dealer chosen, each player is dealt 7 cards with the remainder of the pack, called the draw pile, placed face down in the middle of the table. The top card of the draw pile is turned over and forms the discard pile. Play commences with the player to the dealers left and goes clockwise.

At your turn place one of your cards face up on to the discard pile, matching the one there, either by colour, number, wording, or be a wild card. If you are unable to do this then you must take a card from the draw pile. If you can play this card then do so otherwise play goes to the next person. If at your turn you play a wild card then you may change the suit. If you place a draw four card on the discard pile you may also change suit. You must follow the instructions on word cards placed on the pile by the player proceeding you, which could be miss a turn or pick up cards.

One final and amusing point, you must say 'Uno' when you have just the one card left and if you forget and another player catches you then you must take 2 cards off the draw pile as a forfeit.
The idea of this game is to get rid of all you cards and then score points for what cards your opponents are left holding with usually a score of 500 to be named the winner with how to score information included in the pack.

A great fun way to spend an evening with family and friends.