Macau (card game)
shedding-type card game from Hungary
Macau, also spelled Makaua or Macaua, is a shedding-type card game from Hungary, with similar rules to Crazy Eights or Uno and uses a standard 52 card deck. The object of the game is to be the first player to remove all cards from one's hand. Macau involves tactical play where players manage their cards to maximize their hand's efficiency and strategically respond to opponents' moves. Bluffing is a core element, as players may choose to withhold playable cards to preserve them for later use.
The game belongs to the broader Crazy Eights family, which first appeared in the 1930s and shares fundamental shedding mechanics with games such as Mau-Mau (Germany), Pesten (Netherlands), and Switch (United Kingdom). The name Macau is distinct from the unrelated 18th-century banking card game Macao, a forerunner of baccarat.
Rules
Two or more players (up to 10) are dealt 5 cards each. For larger groups, additional decks may be added at the players' discretion — a single 52-card deck (twos through aces) is generally sufficient for two to four players. The deck is then cut and the cut card becomes the first card in the discard pile; if the revealed card is an action card, it is returned to the deck and the next card is revealed in its place. Players determine the order of play, which is usually clockwise.
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