About Mau-Mau
What Is Mau-Mau?
Mau-Mau belongs to the match-a-card family of shedding games. German tables often use a 32-card pack, with house rules for special ranks. This browser version fixes its own rules so you can make clear decisions: sevens force two draws, eights skip a turn, and jacks call a suit. Your aim is to empty your hand before the CPU. Start with five cards, compare them with the face-up discard, and choose a matching rank or suit.
How to Play Mau-Mau
- You and the CPU receive five cards from a 32-card deck containing ranks seven through ace. One ordinary card starts the face-up pile. The rest form the stock. The active suit and each player's hand count remain visible above the pile.
- Click a card that matches the pile's active suit or top rank. A jack can always be played: choose one of four suit buttons to declare the next active suit. A seven makes the next player draw two and miss a turn; an eight skips that player's turn.
- If you cannot or do not want to play, click Draw and pass. You draw one card and the CPU takes its turn. If you are down to two cards, click Call Mau before playing one of them. When you play your last card, you win the hand.
- The CPU also follows the matching rules and chooses a suit after its jack. If the stock runs out, the browser recycles the old discard cards and keeps the top card face up. This is a declared 32-card house version, not a universal Mau-Mau rule set.
Basic Rules
- A card matches by rank or active suit. After a normal card, its printed suit becomes active. After a jack, the player chooses the active suit, which can differ from the jack's printed suit.
- A seven makes the opponent draw two and skip. An eight skips the opponent without a draw. These effects do not stack in this version. Local Mau-Mau tables differ widely on whether a seven may be answered with another seven or whether an eight reverses play.
- This browser asks you to call Mau before reducing a two-card hand to one. Standard table penalties depend on local agreement. The page labels its selected house rules and does not claim to reproduce a branded commercial shedding game.
Strategy Tips for Beginners
- Keep a jack for a blocked hand. It can change the active suit to the one you hold most often, giving you a better chance to play again.
- Choose a suit with several remaining cards after a jack. Calling a suit with no cards left can give the CPU the tempo.
- A seven does more than add cards. It also grants you another turn in this two-player version, so play one when your next card already matches.
- Call Mau while you still hold two cards. Waiting until your last card means the announcement cannot help you finish correctly.
- Notice the visible suit after the CPU plays a jack. The printed suit on its jack may no longer be active; use the suit label above the pile.
Real Examples of Gameplay
A rank match
The pile shows the queen of clubs and the active suit is clubs. You hold a queen of diamonds and no clubs. Play the diamond queen. Its rank matches, and diamonds become active.
Using a jack
The active suit is spades, but your hand contains two hearts and a jack of clubs. Play the jack and choose hearts. Your next turn has more possible matches.
Calling Mau on time
You hold a seven of hearts and king of hearts. Click Call Mau while you have two cards, then play the seven if it matches. The CPU draws two and skips, leaving you a chance to shed the king.
Variations of Mau-Mau
- Crazy Eights: Try Crazy Eights for a related match-suit-or-rank game with eights as wild cards.
- Local Mau-Mau: Many tables use different draw-card penalties, calls, deck sizes, and special jacks. Agree on rules before a physical game.
- Palace: Try Palace for a different shedding challenge.
Why People Love Mau-Mau
- Every visible card changes your options. A jack can rescue a weak hand, while a seven creates an immediate swing by adding cards and taking another turn.
- The rules fit a pack many households already own. Players can adapt action ranks by agreement, then use this clearly stated browser version to practice the rank-and-suit foundation without negotiating a table variant.
Play Mau-Mau Online for Free
Play Mau-Mau online for free against a CPU using a 32-card pack. The interface marks which cards match, shows the active suit after a jack, and handles the draw and skip actions automatically. This is an independent house-rule game with no licensed brand assets. Read the on-page rules before a round if your home table uses different powers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play a jack on any rank?
Yes. In this version a jack can always be played, then you choose the next active suit.
Do sevens stack?
No. Here a seven makes the next player draw two and skip. Other Mau-Mau tables allow stacking.
When should I call Mau?
Click Call Mau when you have two cards and before playing down to one.
Is Mau-Mau the same as a branded card game?
No. Mau-Mau is an independently played shedding game with regional house rules.
Start Playing Now
Match the active suit or the top rank, save a jack when you need to change direction, and announce Mau before your hand shrinks to one. The browser states its special-card rules so each choice has a visible consequence. Play a fresh hand and see whether a well-timed seven or eight lets you shed your last cards first.
References & Research