Mau-Mau: Germany's Most Popular Card Game

Introduction

Ask anyone in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland to name the first card game they ever learned, and the answer is almost always the same: Mau-Mau. This lightning-fast shedding game has been a cornerstone of German-speaking card culture for generations, played at kitchen tables, in school yards, on train journeys, and during long family holidays. It is, quite simply, the card game that every German child grows up with.

Mau-Mau belongs to the vast "Crazy Eights" family of card games — a global clan of shedding games built on the same core principle: match the top card of the discard pile by suit or rank and race to empty your hand. Its closest relatives include the Hungarian Makaó, the Czech Prsi, the American Crazy Eights, and of course the worldwide commercial phenomenon UNO. In fact, Mau-Mau is widely considered one of the key ancestors of UNO, which Merle Robbins created in Ohio in 1971 — decades after Mau-Mau was already a household name across Central Europe.

What makes Mau-Mau special is its elegant simplicity combined with just enough chaos to keep every round unpredictable. The rules can be taught in two minutes, yet the special card effects — the dreaded draw-two 7, the ruthless skip-a-turn 8, and the all-powerful suit-changing Jack — create enough drama to keep adults entertained alongside children. Add the iconic “Mau!” call-out rule, which forces players to announce when they are down to their last card or face a penalty, and you have a game that generates tension, laughter, and heated debate in equal measure.

The Deck

In Germany and Austria, Mau-Mau is traditionally played with a 32-card Skat deck, also known as a Skatblatt. This deck contains four French suits — Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, and Spades — each running from 7 through Ace (7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace). The 2 through 6 are removed entirely. This compact deck is the same one used for the German national card game Skat, and virtually every household in Germany owns at least one.

Mau-Mau works equally well with a full 52-card deck, which is the standard choice outside the German-speaking world and is recommended when playing with more than 5 players. When using the 52-card deck, the cards 2 through 6 simply act as normal (non-special) cards. Some groups even shuffle two decks together for larger parties of 6 to 8 players, ensuring the draw pile does not run dry.

If you are playing in Bavaria, you may also encounter Mau-Mau played with the Bayerisches Blatt — the traditional Bavarian card deck with its distinctive suits of Acorns, Leaves, Hearts, and Bells. The rules remain identical; only the artwork on the cards changes.

Object of the Game

The goal is straightforward: be the first player to discard all the cards from your hand. You achieve this by playing one card per turn onto the discard pile, matching either the suit or rank of the top card. Special cards give you the power to attack opponents with draw penalties, skip their turns, or change the active suit to one that favours your hand.

When a player empties their hand (after correctly announcing “Mau-Mau!”), the round ends. All remaining players count penalty points based on the cards they are still holding. Over the course of several rounds, the player who accumulates the fewest penalty points wins the overall game.

Setup & Deal

Gather your players around a table and choose a dealer. Any method works — youngest player, winner of the previous round, or simply whoever volunteers. The dealer role passes clockwise after every round.

The dealer shuffles the deck thoroughly and deals cards one at a time, face-down, moving clockwise. The standard deal is 5 cards per player. Some groups prefer 6 or 7 cards, especially when using a 52-card deck, which provides more options from the start. With only 2 players, dealing 7 cards each is recommended for a more strategic game.

After dealing, place the remaining cards face-down in the centre of the table to form the draw pile (German: Talon or Ziehstapel). Flip the top card of the draw pile face-up and place it next to the stock to start the discard pile (Ablagestapel).

How to Play — Step by Step

1. Check the discard pile Look at 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 (7, 8, Jack, or Ace), its effect activates immediately. If it is a normal card (9, 10, Queen, or King in the 32-card deck), play simply passes to the next player clockwise.
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 draw pile. If the drawn card is playable, you may play it right away. If not, your turn ends and play moves on.
4. Respond to special cards If the previous player played a 7, you must either counter with another 7 (stacking the draw penalty onto the next player) or draw 2 cards. If you were skipped by an 8, you lose your turn entirely. If an Ace was played, the direction of play reverses. See the full special card rules below.
5. Announce “Mau!” When you play a card that leaves you with exactly one card in your hand, you must immediately say “Mau!” out loud. This warns all other players that you are about to win. If you forget, any opponent can challenge you and force you to draw 2 penalty cards.
6. Announce “Mau-Mau!” and win When you play your very last card, you must call “Mau-Mau!” as you lay it down. If you say it correctly, you win the round. If you forget, you must pick up 2 cards and continue playing. This double-announcement rule — “Mau” at one card, “Mau-Mau” at zero — is the game's signature mechanic and the source of countless arguments at German kitchen tables.

Special Cards and Their Effects

Mau-Mau's character comes from its special cards. In the classic German rules using a 32-card Skat deck, four ranks carry special powers. All other cards (9, 10, Queen, King) are normal cards with no special ability — they simply match by suit or rank.

7 — Draw Two

When you play a 7, the next player must draw 2 cards from the draw pile and forfeit their turn — unless they can counter by playing another 7 on top. If they counter, the penalty passes to the following player, who must now draw 4 cards (or counter with yet another 7, making it 6, and so on). With the 32-card deck containing four 7s, the maximum stacked penalty is 8 cards — a devastating blow that can turn the game on its head in a single moment.

8 — Skip Turn

Playing an 8 causes the next player to lose their turn completely. Play jumps over them to the player after. In a two-player game, an 8 effectively gives you an extra turn, which is extremely powerful. Some house rules allow stacking 8s: if you play an 8 and the next player also plays an 8 (matching by rank), the skip passes further along. In a three-player game, two stacked 8s would skip two players, giving the original player another immediate turn.

Jack — Wild Card (Suit Changer)

The Jack (Bube) is the most powerful and versatile card in Mau-Mau. It can be played on top of any card, regardless of suit or rank (with one common exception: many groups rule that a Jack cannot be played on top of another Jack). When you play a Jack, you declare any suit of your choosing. The next player must then follow the declared suit or play another Jack.

The Jack is your ultimate escape card when you have nothing that matches the discard pile, and your most strategic weapon when you want to steer the game toward a suit where you hold multiple cards. Experienced Mau-Mau players treat their Jacks like gold, saving them for the moments where they have the most impact rather than playing them at the first opportunity.

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 identically to a skip — you get to take another turn immediately.

There is an important alternative rule that is very common in Germany: instead of reversing direction, the Ace means the current player takes another immediate turn. This variant is sometimes called Aussetzen (sit out) for the Ace. Both interpretations are widespread, so it is essential to clarify which version your group uses before dealing the first hand.

Matching Rules

The fundamental rule of Mau-Mau 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 any card of the same number or face (e.g., a 10 of Clubs on a 10 of Diamonds).

The only exception is the Jack, which can be played on anything (unless your house rules forbid Jack-on-Jack). After a Jack is played, the next player must follow the declared suit, not the suit printed on the Jack itself.

When a 7 has been played and the draw penalty is active, the next player can only respond with another 7 (to stack the penalty) or by drawing the required cards. They cannot play a normal matching card to avoid the penalty — it is counter-with-a-7 or draw.

Drawing From the Draw Pile

When you cannot (or choose not to) play a card, you draw one card from the top of the face-down draw pile. If this drawn card matches the top of the discard pile, you may play it immediately. Otherwise, your turn ends and play passes to the next player.

If the draw pile runs out, take all cards from the discard pile except the top card, shuffle them thoroughly, and place them face-down as the new draw pile. This ensures the game can always continue, no matter how many cards are drawn.

The “Mau” Call — Announcing Your Last Cards

The calling rule is Mau-Mau's most distinctive feature and the source of the game's name. It works as a two-stage announcement:

• “Mau!” — You must say this the moment you play down to one remaining card. It is a warning to all opponents that you are one turn away from winning.
• “Mau-Mau!” — You must say this as you play your very last card to win the round.

If you forget either announcement and an opponent notices before the next player takes their turn, you must draw 2 penalty cards (some groups impose 3 or even 5). This penalty can be absolutely devastating when you were on the verge of winning. The calling rule adds a layer of psychological pressure: players must stay alert not only to their own hand but also to whether opponents remember to make their announcements.

Winning & Scoring

A round ends the moment a player correctly plays their last card and announces “Mau-Mau!” 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 points for a quick game or 200 points for a longer session. Once any player crosses that threshold, the game ends and the player with the lowest total score wins.

Many casual groups skip scoring entirely and simply play individual rounds, declaring the player who goes out first the winner. This approach works well for mixed groups with children and adults, or when you just want a quick game.

Strategy Tips

Mau-Mau vs. Makaó vs. UNO vs. Crazy Eights

Mau-Mau is part of a large global family of shedding games. Here is how it compares to its closest relatives: the Hungarian Makaó, the commercial giant UNO, and the American classic Crazy Eights.

The most significant contrast is between Mau-Mau and UNO. While UNO has become a global phenomenon thanks to Mattel's marketing, Mau-Mau requires no proprietary deck and can be played with cards you already own. The draw-stacking mechanic that millions of UNO players love as a "house rule" (but which is actually against UNO's official rules) has been a core feature of Mau-Mau from the beginning. In many ways, Mau-Mau offers the experience most people think they are getting when they play UNO.

Compared to its Central European cousin Makaó, Mau-Mau is slightly simpler: it uses a smaller deck, has fewer special card types (no draw-3 cards), and features the distinctive two-stage “Mau” / “Mau-Mau” calling system instead of a single announcement. Makaó tends to produce longer, more chaotic games due to the 52-card deck and the additional draw-3 penalty, while Mau-Mau is faster and more streamlined.

Popular House Rules and Regional Variants

Mau-Mau may be the most house-ruled card game in existence. Because it spread through oral tradition rather than an official rulebook, virtually every German family has its own version. Here are the most common variants you will encounter:

No Last-Card Jack (Bube darf nicht letzte Karte sein)

In this widely used variant, a player is not allowed to play a Jack as their final card. Since the Jack is the most powerful card in the game, ending on it is considered unsporting. If a Jack is your only remaining card, you must draw instead. This rule encourages players to use their Jacks strategically during the game rather than hoarding them as a guaranteed exit.

Multiple Card Play

Some groups allow playing multiple cards of the same rank in a single turn. For example, if you hold three 10s, you can play all three at once. The last card played determines the new suit on the discard pile. This variant speeds up the game significantly and rewards players who hold sets of matching ranks.

Forced Draw Until Playable

Instead of drawing just one card when you cannot play, some groups require you to keep drawing until you get a playable card. This is a much harsher variant that can dramatically inflate hand sizes and lead to wild swings in fortune. It is particularly punishing in a 32-card game where playable cards are less likely to appear quickly.

Swiss Variant: Tschau Sepp

In Switzerland, the game is called Tschau Sepp and features slightly different special card assignments. The 6 is often the draw card instead of the 7, and the rules around stacking and wild cards vary by canton. The calling rule changes too: players say “Tschau” at one card and “Tschau Sepp” when going out.

Penalty for Wrong Play

Some competitive groups impose a penalty of 1 or 2 cards if a player accidentally plays an invalid card (wrong suit, wrong rank). The misplayed card is returned to the player's hand and the extra penalty cards are drawn. This rule encourages careful play and punishes carelessness.

History and Origins

The exact origins of Mau-Mau are difficult to pin down because the game spread through oral tradition rather than published rules. It is generally believed to have emerged in Germany in the early 20th century, possibly in the 1930s or earlier, as a simplified derivative of the broader Crazy Eights family of card games.

The name itself is a curiosity. Unlike most card games, which are named after a key element of play (like "Snap" or "War"), “Mau-Mau” has no obvious connection to the game mechanics. Some theories suggest it derives from the German word mauscheln (to cheat or deal underhandedly), while others believe it is simply an onomatopoeic expression — a playful sound that stuck because it was fun to shout. The resemblance to the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya (1952–1960) is almost certainly a coincidence, as the card game appears to predate the political movement.

What is certain is that by the mid-20th century, Mau-Mau was already ubiquitous across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Its influence spread outward to inspire or cross-pollinate with similar games throughout Europe: Makaó in Hungary, Prsi in the Czech Republic, and Sedma-family variants across the Balkans. When Merle Robbins created UNO in 1971, he was almost certainly drawing on the same game family that Mau-Mau belongs to — making Mau-Mau one of the unacknowledged grandparents of the best-selling card game in the world.

Frequently Asked Questions