The Shuffle Hands card is one of the special Action cards issued in the recent versions of Uno. The Shuffle Hands card acts as a wild card because it can be played anytime, regardless of the card on the discard pile.
Can you end on a Shuffle Hands card in UNO? When official rules are followed, a person cannot end by playing a Shuffle Hands card. Even though it is somewhat treated as a wild card in UNO, the action must be completed when it is discarded.
Once the card is played, the player must collect all the cards from each player’s hand, shuffle the cards together, and redistribute the cards back evenly to all the players, including themselves. Despite trying to end on a Shuffle Hands card, the player will get a new hand full of cards once they shuffle a deal.
However, some UNO players find the game mechanics to be unfair when following this official rule. As a result, they apply a house rule that treats the card just like any other wild card when played as the last card to end the round.
Nevertheless, the Shuffle Hands card is special, meaning it’s not mandatory to be used for players to play UNO. So, if players are not comfortable with the card, they can remove all Shuffle Hands cards from the deck and enjoy the game.
What does the Shuffle Hands card do in UNO?
When the card is played, the person who played the card collects all the cards each player’s hands, shuffles them afresh, and evenly deals back the cards to players.
Additionally, the card is treated as a wild card that can be placed on any player’s turn, and the card changes the color of the discard pile.
Since all the cards are shuffled and dealt with anew, all players’ hands are distorted. The players who have a small hand get a full hand, and at the same time, those who hand overbearing hands get a chance to reduce the number of cards.
If official rules are not applied and house rules have been established as such, it can be treated as a wild card when the Shuffle Hands card is played at the end. As a result, a person can end the game on the Shuffle Hands card as if it were a wild, and discard without repercussions of receiving a hand full of cards.
UNO Shuffle hands card rules
- The card is treated similarly to a wild card, therefore it can be played anytime during a player’s turn regardless of the previous card played on the discard pile.
- When the Shuffle Hands card is played, the person who plays it must assemble all cards from each player involved, shuffle, and deal back the cards to all the players in the game. The card distribution should be even among all players.
- The player who plays the card can choose the color that will continue play.
- Gameplay resumes in the same direction once the cards are shuffled and dealt.
- The Shuffle Hands card is a special Action card, which means players do not need to include it in the game in order to play.
- Unlike other wild cards, a person cannot end UNO with the Shuffle Hands card as the last card since everyone gets a new hand once the cards are shuffled, including the player who played the card.
How to end on shuffle hands card in UNO
If the house rules are applied, then one can end UNO with a Shuffle Hands card because it would be treated the same way as other wild cards.
Nevertheless, the official game rules say something completely different. According to them, once the card is played, the player who plays the card should take cards from all the player’s hands, shuffle, and deal back the cards evenly.
Each player is supposed to get a new hand once the card is played, including the one who played the card. Therefore, the will get more cards after the cards have been redistributed.
Ending on Shuffle Hands Card in Uno: Conclusion
One cannot end the game on a Shuffle Hands card because everybody in the game, including the one who played it, gets a new hand as a result of the card being played.
Therefore, the only way one can use the card in that way is to make customized house rules for the situation.
As one of the special Uno cards, players can eliminate the Shuffle Hands cards from the deck if they are not okay with the card and game mechanics. Many people shy away from the card because of the official rules that make it difficult to use the card to win the game.
It’s recommendable to use the card when one has unplayable cards, and wants to give it a chance to see whether they can improve their hand. However, taking chances has two outcomes, either things can get better or become even worse than before.
The card outcomes can be beneficial to some players, but for others, with small hands or good cards, it can disadvantage them because no one has the control of the new hand they will get. In this regard, there are mixed opinions about the Shuffle Hands card and how it impacts the gameplay dynamics, especially at the end of the game.