How to Win UNO

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Do you always find yourself losing when you play UNO? UNO is a fun card game to play with family and friends, but it is never fun to lose. With a few strategies, you can improve your game and impress your family and friends. So, follow the described journey and you will be winning playing UNO.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Learning the Basic Game

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  1. UNO can be played with 2 to 10 players and it is appropriate for ages 7 and over. Deal out 7 cards face down to each player. The remaining cards are placed in the middle of the area where you are playing and the top card is turned over to create the discard pile. Each player looks at their cards, keeping them hidden from other players. [1]
    • There are some variations where more cards are dealt. The rest of game follows as normal.
  2. The player who plays first must match a card in their hand to the card on the discard pile. You can play a card that matches the color or the number of the discard pile. For example, if a green 7 is turned over, you can either play any green card or a 7 of any color. You can also play an action card, which is any of the cards in the deck that are not number cards. For skip, reverse, and draw 2 cards, you must match the color of the card on the discard pile. You can play a wild and wild draw 4 any time you like. Once you play a card, it is the next player's turn.
    • If you don't have a card to play, you must draw a card. If you draw a card that you can use, you may play it at this time. If you can't use the card that you drew, play moves to the next player. [2]
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  3. Play continues until one player uses all of their cards. Once you have one card remaining, you must say 'UNO. If one of the other players catches you with one card and you didn't say UNO, you will have to draw two cards. Once a player has used all their cards, the remaining players give the winner their cards and they add up the points. Number cards are worth their face value, skip, reverse, and draw 2 cards are worth 20 points, and wild and wild draw 4 cards are worth 50 points. It is advise-able to keep plus four card for using it on last. One of the reasons is because it can be used on any color card, you will able to drain your card as fast as possible.
    • The game ends once a player reaches 500 points and that player is declared the winner. [3]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Using the Numbers and Colors

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  1. When scoring UNO, the points you give the hand winner are based on the cards left in your hand. The number cards are tallied by face value, so the 9 is worth 9 points, the 8 worth 8, and so on. Since you don't want to be left with a lot of points in your hand to give the round winner, play your highest numbered cards first. This way, you will have less points in your hand if someone else ends the round.
    • If you have higher numbers in a different color than the one in play, try to change the color by playing a matching lower number in the color of your high cards.
    • The one exception is the 0 card. There are only four 0 cards in each deck, so if you are trying to keep the color from being changed by your opponent, play a 0 to make it much harder for them to play the same number of a different color to change the color in play. [4] [5]
  2. If you have a lot of one color, try to play as many of those in that one color you can before the color is changed. You don't want to end up near the end of the game with four cards of four separate colors. This will make it much harder for you to win the game.
    • Remember you can change the color back to the one you have the most of by matching the same numbers of different colors. [6]
  3. If your opponent has played a few cards in one color, you might want to change the color to lower the likelihood that they can play. You can do this by playing the same number card in a different color. On the other hand, if you notice that your fellow player has had to draw for a few turns because they don't have the color being played, do your best to keep it on that color. This will force them to draw more cards and increase your chances of winning. [7]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Using the Action Cards

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  1. Skip cards force the player after you to lose their turn and are great to stop those with UNO from playing. Play one if the person next to you has UNO, skipping their turn and allowing the next person to play. It will also give you one more turn to play. When this happens and play returns to you, try another strategy or make sure you get rid of the card in your hand that is worth the most points.
    • Make sure you don't hold on to too many skip cards. Holding one or two can work in your favor, but stock piling them will add up to a lot of points if you're caught with them. They are worth 20 points each.
    • If you are playing two player UNO, you can use your skips right away because it gives you another turn automatically. Just be careful to end on a skip that you can match. You don't want to have to draw cards because you can't match the color.
    • It is advise-able to use the odd number which you think is not with the opponent. So, he will withdraw a card and if he did not get the card, the next turn is yours. [8] [9]
  2. Reverse cards change the direction of play. They can come in very handy when trying to manipulate game play, making it where the player with the least amount of cards doesn't have a chance to play. Use a reverse if the next player has fewer cards than you or has UNO. This takes away their turn and gives your fellow players a chance to make them draw cards.
    • If you are playing with two people, reverse cards act exactly like skip cards. In this instance, you can use the skip and reverse cards as early as you want. It's a great way to quickly reduce the number of cards you have in your hand.
    • Make sure you don't hold on to too many reverse cards either. They are useful, but they are also worth 20 points each if you get caught with them. [10] [11]
  3. Wild cards change the color of game play. These can be very useful if the player after you has been on a streak with one particular color and is running low on cards. Play it to change the color to one that you think they might not have. You can also use these to change the color of play to a color that you have a lot of. This will help you get rid of more cards and help you win the hand.
    • Don't stockpile these cards too much. They are worth 50 points each if you get stuck with them at the end of the round. [12] [13]
  4. Draw 2s are great cards to fill up the hands of those around you and ensure they can't win. If the player after you only has a few cards left, play a draw 2 in order to make them draw two cards. This will give you the advantage because they will have to draw cards and miss an opportunity to play a card as well. Wild draw 4s work in a similar way, but you can use them to your advantage by changing to a color that matches more of your cards. This way, you make the person after you draw more cards and you get the added bonus of playing more cards from your hand.
    • If you see the person that goes before you has only a few cards left, use a reverse and then a draw 2 or wild draw 4. Although they will be able to play one card, they will have to draw cards on their next turn, filling their hand back up and getting you closer to winning.
    • If you want to stockpile a few of these to use at opportune times, try keeping draw 2s instead of wild draw 4s. If you are caught with a wild draw 4, it is worth 50 points, but the draw 2 is only worth 20. [14] [15]
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How can I draw good cards when dealing?
    Zach Waldman
    Professional Comedy Magician
    Zach Waldman is a Professional Comedy Magician based in Los Angeles, CA. He has over 20 years of experience as an entertainer and performer. He is a comedian, magician, and mentalist, and he customizes his show to be distinct for every audience he performs for. His clients include some of the biggest corporations in the world, including Microsoft, Google, BusinessWeek, Absolut, the L.A. Kings, Anheuser-Busch, and more. He has been a member of the Academy of Magical Arts (AMA) since 2001, and performs regularly at the Academy’s clubhouse, The Magic Castle. For the past 20+ years, Zach has been a mainstay at many other reputable Los Angeles theaters and comedy clubs including the El Portal, the Comedy Store, the Improv, Flappers, and the Laugh Factory. Before moving to L.A., he attended the Player's Workshop of the Second City. He received his degree from the University of Central Florida.
    Zach Waldman
    Professional Comedy Magician
    Expert Answer
    To draw favorably when dealing in the UNO card game, begin by subtly manipulating the deck before dealing, arranging cards in a manner that benefits your game plan. Utilize shuffling techniques that allow you to maintain control over the deck's composition, ensuring desirable cards are positioned favorably. When dealing, employ sleight-of-hand maneuvers to subtly swap out less beneficial cards for more advantageous ones, ensuring that you draw cards that align with your strategy. Timing is key; choose opportune moments to execute these actions, and capitalize on distractions in gameplay to minimize detection. But remember to uphold fairness and sportsmanship to ensure an enjoyable experience for all players involved.
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  • Question
    Will keeping wild cards help me win at UNO?
    Community Answer
    Yes, certainly! If you can, try to make a wild card the very last card in your hand. If you do, you will get to play the wild card, and win, no matter what color someone else plays before you.
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  • Question
    Do you have to play your "wild draw four" if you have it?
    Community Answer
    If it's the only option, you should - but it's not a rule. You can hold into it and draw additional cards.
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      Tips

      - End with a colour change. - False face gestures play vital role. - You can use a combination of multiple strategies to improve your UNO skills overall. - Base the strategies you use on the cards you are dealt. This means that your strategy changes each hand, but it will ensure the longest lasting results. - Don't lose - Don't show your cards to anyone - Don't keep high cards, try to keep only low cards - Get rid as many cards as you can!

      Tips from our Readers

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • If someone does not have a color and picks up a card on their turn, don't change the color on your next turn. This way, the player will have to pick up another card if they don't have a number match.
      • Don't reveal how many cards you have. You can overlap some cards to make it seem like you're holding fewer cards than you actually are.
      • Instead of using a points system, you can simplify the game so the first person to put down all their cards is the winner.
      • Don't use a wild card to change the color when you call Uno, as it will give your color away.
      • Save all your wild cards until the end, or until someone calls Uno.
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      Warnings

      • For the Wild Draw 4, there is a little-known rule as follows: You can only play a Draw 4 if you have nothing else to play. If the player who you are telling to draw 4 cards thinks you had another card to play, they can challenge you, meaning they have to see your hand of cards. If you have another card you could have played, you have to draw the four cards. If they were wrong and that was your only card, they now have to draw double the cards. This is a great trick to use with especially sneaky and deceptive people.
        Thanks
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      References

      1. ↑ http://www.unorules.com/
      2. ↑ http://www.unorules.com/
      3. ↑ http://www.unorules.com/
      4. ↑ http://play-k.kaserver5.org/UnoSt.html
      5. ↑ http://unotips.org/secrets.html
      6. ↑ http://play-k.kaserver5.org/UnoSt.html
      7. ↑ http://www.unorules.com/best-strategies-to-win-uno/
      8. ↑ http://play-k.kaserver5.org/UnoSt.html
      9. ↑ http://www.unorules.com/best-strategies-to-win-uno/
      1. ↑ http://play-k.kaserver5.org/UnoSt.html
      2. ↑ http://www.unorules.com/best-strategies-to-win-uno/
      3. ↑ http://play-k.kaserver5.org/UnoSt.html
      4. ↑ http://www.unorules.com/best-strategies-to-win-uno/
      5. ↑ http://play-k.kaserver5.org/UnoSt.html
      6. ↑ http://www.unorules.com/best-strategies-to-win-uno/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To win at UNO, pay close attention to what your opponents play on their turns. If a player has to draw cards to find a color, it’s a sign that they don’t have any of that color in their hand. You can make them draw more cards by playing cards in that color before they get a chance to regroup. You should also try to change up the color on the discard pile as often as you can. That way, if one of your opponents has a lot of cards in the same color, they won't be able to easily get rid of them. On the other hand, if you have a lot of cards in the same color in your hand, try to keep that color on the discard pile for as long as you can. Another strategy is to use your reverse and skip cards to prevent players with a low number of cards from playing. You can play a skip card to skip their turn or play a reverse card to reverse the direction of gameplay in the opposite direction they're in. Try to hold onto your +2 and +4 cards for as long as you possibly can so you can use them in an emergency, like when one of your opponents gets down to UNO. You can also hold onto the Wild cards until the end of the game so you can quickly go out without anyone being able to stop you. Keep reading to learn how the different cards are scored!

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