How to Deal Cards for Uno

Last Updated: March 13, 2023 References

You want to play UNO, but you aren't sure how to deal. Refer to the rule-book, or read on for more information. Everyone usually starts with seven cards, face-down.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Preparing the Game

1
Shuffle the deck. Before you play, make sure that you have a full deck of Uno cards. Count 108 cards. There should be 25 of each color: blue, yellow, red, and green. In addition, there are four Wild cards and four Wild Draw Four cards.^{[1]
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Research source} Each color "suit" contains:
- One 0 card
- Two 1 cards, 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, 7s, 8s and 9s
- Two "Draw Two" cards; two "Skip" cards; and two "Reverse" cards.
- Four blank cards of each color, if you're using a new deck. Do not use these cards except to replace cards that you lose.^{[2]
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2
Determine how many players you have. If you have fewer players, you'll deal more cards apiece; if you have more players, you'll deal fewer cards apiece. For 2-4 players, deal seven or eight cards per person. If you have 5-8 players, deal six or seven cards apiece. No matter how many players you have, make sure everyone has the same number of cards.^{[3]
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- If you have more than eight players, you may want to split into two games, or play with teams. The game does not work as well when each player only starts with four or five cards.
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3
Decide who goes first. Place the shuffled deck face-down on the table. Have each player pull one card from the top of the deck. Whoever pulls the card with the highest number gets to go first. Power-up cards (e.g. Draw Two, Draw For, and Wild) are worth zero at this stage.^{[4]
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- Once you decide who goes first, put the drawn cards back into the deck. Reshuffle once more before you deal the cards.
- You can also roll a die, if you have one handy, or use any other method to do decide who goes first. Try letting the person with the next birthday go first, or the youngest person at the table. The method doesn't terribly matter as long as you all agree.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Dealing the Cards

1
Sit in a circle. The game will proceed clockwise (or counterclockwise, if you prefer) around the circle from the person who is going first. It does not matter whether you go clockwise or counterclockwise as long as you all agree on the direction.
2
Deal each player seven cards without looking at them. Pass out the cards one at a time. Whoever drew the highest card is the first dealer. If you are going clockwise, start by giving the card at the top of the deck to the person to your left. Continue around the circle in this manner until each person has one face-down card. Then, keep dealing around the circle in the same pattern until everyone has the right amount of cards.
- Deal the cards face-down so that each player knows which cards he or she has. If you accidentally reveal a card, slide it back into the dealing pile at random.
- If you are the dealer, you still get cards! Don't leave yourself out.
- Again: you don't have to deal exactly seven cards to each person as long as everyone has the same amount of cards. Some people play a variation in which the dealer can arbitrarily choose how many—or how few—cards to deal at the beginning of each round.
3
Stack the leftover cards in the center. Once you deal, you should have an extra stack of cards left. Place these cards face-down in the middle of the floor or table where you're playing. Everyone in the game should be able to easily reach this stack.
- Designate a space next to these cards for the Discard pile. This is where you'll put the cards that get knocked out of play.^{[5]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Starting the Game

1
Let everyone look through their cards. Each player now has a "hand" of (probably) seven cards. Give the players a few moments to arrange their cards in an effective way. This is when most experienced players begin to make connections between their cards and plan out the beginnings of their strategy.
2
Place one card face-up on the table. Once everyone has the right amount of cards, the dealer picks up the card at the top of the deck places it face-up in the Discard pile. Then, the dealer picks the next card and lays it on the table for everyone to see. This is the starting card. If it is a power-up card (e.g. Draw Two, Draw For, Wild), deal another card on top of it.
3
Play UNO. Start from the card that is face-up in the center of the table. The player who is going first puts down a card that of the same number or color from his or her own 7-card hand. Then the person on the left (clockwise) or right (counterclockwise) does the same. The game continues in that direction. The goal of the game is to get rid of all your cards – the last person holding cards "loses".

Community Q&A

Question

Can a Wild Draw 4 be thrown on top of another Wild Draw 4?

Community Answer

Yes.
Question

If I put a "Pick Up Two" card, does the player pick up two cards and then lay one down, or do they not discard?

Community Answer

When you lay down a "Pick Up Two," the next player loses their chance to discard, so they just pick up two cards, and then it is the next person's turn.
Question

Can the last card be an action card?

Community Answer

Yes, the last card can be an action card.