Makaó: The Original Card Game Behind UNO

Introduction

Long before UNO conquered the world, Central European card players were already matching suits, stacking penalties, and shouting the name of the game when down to their last card. That game is Makaó — a fast, ruthless shedding game that has been a staple of Hungarian households, school breaks, and summer camps for generations.

Makaó belongs to the same family tree as the German Mau-Mau, the Czech Prsi, and the worldwide phenomenon UNO. All of these games share a common ancestor in the broader "Crazy Eights" family, but Makaó has its own distinct personality. Its special card powers — stacking draw penalties, skipping opponents, reversing play direction, and choosing suits with the almighty Jack — make every hand a tense tactical battle dressed up as a casual card game.

The game is enormously popular not only in Hungary but also in Poland (where it is often spelled "Makao"), Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Croatia. Virtually every school child in these countries learns it before they learn to ride a bicycle. If you have ever played UNO and enjoyed it, Makaó will feel instantly familiar — but with the added charm of needing nothing more than a standard pack of playing cards.

The Deck

Makaó is played with a standard 52-card French-suited deck (the same deck used for Poker or Bridge). This includes four suits — Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, and Spades — each running from Ace through King. Jokers are not used in the classic version of the game, although some regional variants do include them as super wild cards.

For games with 5 or 6 players, it is recommended to shuffle two complete 52-card decks together, giving a combined pool of 104 cards. This prevents the draw pile from running out too quickly and opens up spectacular stacking possibilities when multiple copies of the same special card are in circulation.

Object of the Game

The goal of Makaó is simple: be the first player to get rid of all the cards in your hand. You do this by playing cards onto the discard pile one at a time, matching either the suit or the rank of the top card. Special cards let you attack opponents, defend yourself, or seize control of the game by changing the active suit.

When a player empties their hand, the round ends and all other players score penalty points based on the cards they are still holding. Over multiple rounds, the player who accumulates the fewest penalty points is declared the overall winner.

Setup & Deal

Seat all players around a table and choose a dealer. Any method works — youngest player, highest card drawn from the deck, or simply the owner of the cards.

The dealer shuffles the deck thoroughly and deals cards one at a time, face-down, going clockwise. The standard deal is 5 cards per player. Many groups prefer to deal 7 cards, which gives more strategic options and slightly lengthens the game. Agree on the hand size before the first round.

After dealing, place the remaining cards face-down in the centre of the table. This is the draw pile (also called the stock or talon). Flip the top card of the draw pile face-up and place it beside the stock to start the discard pile.

How to Play — Step by Step

1. Look at the discard pile Check the top card on the discard pile. You need to play a card from your hand that matches it by suit (same symbol) or rank (same number or letter).
2. Play a matching card Place your chosen card face-up on the discard pile. If it is a special card (2, 3, 7, Jack, or Ace), its effect activates immediately. If it is a normal card, play simply passes to the next player.
3. Draw if you cannot play If you have no card that matches the top of the discard pile by suit or rank, you must draw one card from the stock. If the drawn card is playable, you may play it right away. If not, your turn ends and play passes on.
4. Respond to special cards If the previous player hit you with a draw card (2 or 3), you must either counter with the same rank card (stacking the penalty onto the next player) or draw the required number of cards. If you were skipped by a 7, you simply lose your turn. See the full special card rules below.
5. Announce “Makaó” When you play a card that leaves you with exactly one card in your hand, you must immediately say “Makaó!” out loud. This is the equivalent of calling “UNO” in UNO. If you forget, any opponent can challenge you and force you to draw 5 penalty cards.
6. Go out Play your final card to win the round. The round ends immediately, and other players count their penalty points.

Special Cards and Their Effects

Five ranks in the deck carry special powers. Learning these is the key to mastering Makaó. Every other card (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, Queen, King) is a normal card with no special ability — it simply matches by suit or rank.

2 — Draw Two

When you play a 2, the next player must draw 2 cards from the stock and forfeit their turn — unless they can counter by playing another 2 on top. If they counter, the penalty passes to the following player, who must now draw 4 cards (or counter again with yet another 2, making it 6, and so on). This stacking mechanic can create enormous draw penalties, especially when playing with two decks.

3 — Draw Three

The 3 works exactly like the 2 but is even more punishing: the next player must draw 3 cards. Threes can be stacked on other 3s (3 → 6 → 9 → 12), but they cannot be mixed with 2s. You cannot play a 3 to counter a 2 or vice versa — each rank stacks only with its own kind.

7 — Skip

Playing a 7 causes the next player to lose their turn entirely. Play jumps to the player after them. If multiple 7s are played in succession (by matching suit or because the same suit 7 is played), each one skips an additional player. In a two-player game, a 7 effectively gives you another turn.

Jack — Wild Card (Suit Changer)

The Jack is the most powerful card in Makaó. It can be played on top of any card, regardless of suit or rank. When you play a Jack, you declare any suit you wish. The next player must then play a card of the declared suit (or play another Jack to change it again).

Strategically, the Jack is your lifeline when you have no matching cards and your trump card when you want to steer the game toward a suit that dominates your hand. Experienced players save their Jacks for critical moments rather than wasting them early.

Ace — Reverse Direction

Playing an Ace reverses the direction of play. If the game was moving clockwise, it now moves counter-clockwise, and vice versa. In a two-player game, a reverse functions the same as a skip — you get to take another turn immediately. In games with 3 or more players, the Ace is a valuable tactical tool for sending draw penalties back toward the player who just attacked you, or for disrupting an opponent who is about to go out.

Matching Rules

The fundamental rule of Makaó is that you must match the top card of the discard pile by either:

• Suit — play any card of the same suit (e.g., any Heart on a Heart), or
• Rank — play the same number or face card in any suit (e.g., a 9 of Clubs on a 9 of Diamonds).

The only exception is the Jack, which can be played on anything. After a Jack is played, the next player must follow the declared suit, not the suit of the Jack itself.

If a special card's effect changes the game state (like a suit declaration from a Jack), the next player must respond to that new state rather than the physical card on the pile.

Drawing From the Stock

When you cannot (or choose not to) play a card, you draw one card from the top of the face-down stock pile. If this drawn card happens to match the discard pile, you are allowed to play it immediately. Otherwise, your turn ends.

If the stock pile runs out, take all cards from the discard pile except the top card, shuffle them face-down, and place them as the new stock. This recycling mechanism ensures the game can always continue.

Winning & Scoring

A round ends the moment a player discards their last card. All remaining players receive penalty points based on the cards still in their hands:

Points accumulate over multiple rounds. The group agrees on a target score before starting — commonly 100 or 200 points. Once any player crosses that threshold, the game ends and the player with the lowest total score wins.

Some groups play a simpler variant where the first player to go out wins outright, with no scoring across rounds. This works well for quick games or younger players.

Strategy Tips

Makaó vs. UNO vs. Mau-Mau

Makaó, UNO, and Mau-Mau are all members of the same game family, but each has its own character. Here is how they compare:

The most notable difference is accessibility: Makaó requires nothing more than a standard deck of cards, while UNO requires its proprietary set. For travellers, camping trips, or spontaneous game nights, Makaó has a clear advantage. The stacking mechanic also gives Makaó a more aggressive, unpredictable feel compared to the official rules of UNO (where stacking Draw Two cards is actually not permitted under Mattel's rulebook, despite being the most common house rule worldwide).

Regional Variations Across Central Europe

Because Makaó spread through oral tradition rather than a published rulebook, nearly every country — and indeed every family — plays a slightly different version. Here are some of the most common regional differences:

Poland (Makao)

The Polish version is one of the most widely codified variants. Polish Makao often uses the King of Spades as an additional draw card (draw 5), making it the most feared card in the deck. Some groups also assign a special role to the 4, which acts as a "demand" card — the player who plays it can request a specific rank from the next player.

Czech Republic (Prsi)

Known as Prsi (meaning "it rains"), the Czech version is played with a 32-card deck. The 7 forces a draw of 2 cards (rather than a skip), and the Ace serves as the skip card instead. Prsi has a more streamlined feel due to the smaller deck.

Slovakia

Slovak Makaó is very close to the Hungarian rules but sometimes includes the Joker as a super wild card that functions like a Jack but also forces the next player to draw 4 cards. This makes the Joker the most devastating card in the game.

Romania (Macao)

Romanian Macao tends to follow the Hungarian rules closely, with the addition that playing the last card as a special card is forbidden in some groups — you must go out with a normal card. This rule prevents players from winning in an "unfair" way by dumping a draw penalty on the table and immediately ending the round.

Croatia

In Croatia, the game is often played with a penalty escalation system where the point value of cards left in hand is doubled if a player has not managed to play a single card during the round. This punishes extreme bad luck or overly conservative play.

Regardless of the specific variant, the spirit of Makaó remains the same everywhere: fast turns, dramatic reversals, gleeful stacking of draw penalties, and the ever-present danger of forgetting to announce your last card.

Frequently Asked Questions