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Can you stack reverse cards in UNO?

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Do you want to stack a Reverse card on top of another Reverse card in UNO? Stacking can be done with Draw Two cards and Skip cards in an UNO game, so it is a practical gameplay technique that you should fully understand.

Players can advance gameplay by also stacking a reverse card on top of Draw 4 and Draw 2 card rules. Once you understand the simple mechanics, the strategy will work well for you to win the game.

Can you stack reverse cards in UNO? Yes, you can stack reverse cards in UNO. The gameplay occurs when going in clockwise rotation and dropping a Reverse card to change the direction of play to counterclockwise.

The next person in the rotation can stack a reverse card on top of the previous played reverse card. If engaged in a two player game, then one, two or more Reverse cards give the discarding player another go.

In UNO, both cards will have the same effects, but Draw 2 will have an added advantage. For instance, in a 4 players setup, if the first and second player plays Draw 2 and Draw 4 respectively, which makes third player skip their respective turn, then forth player can stack reverse card to extend the chain, making player three draws two cards in return.

However, when the game is played with two players, if one player places a reverse card, then it serves like a skip card, making the player who has placed the card to play immediately afterwards. 

The official rules of stacking do not allow stacking of Draw 2 and Draw 4 cards. This rule only specify that a Wild 4 card is played when no card matches the current color, which is rarely observed in the UNO game. 

To prevent any controversy, let’s dive in to find out specific rule to use a Reverse card to stack and if it is legal to play two reverse cards at the same time. Answered below are frequently asked questions about stacking Reverse cards and situations where that may be allowed.

What are reverse cards in UNO?

Reversed cards are a type of card in the UNO game that when played by a player, reverses the order of turn rotation in the game. 

For instance, the first player to the left of the dealer or clockwise position is the first player. Unless the starting card for the Discard Pile is a Reverse, then the dealer goes first and rotation proceeds in a counterclockwise direction.

If the game was moving in the clockwise direction, when a player during their turn plays a Reverse card, the game switches to a counterclockwise direction and vice versa is also true.

Any reverse card is only played when the card on the top of the Discard Pile matches the color or if the card is also a Reverse card. Playing a Reverse on top of another Reverse is called stacking, and in certain circumstances that move is possible.

At the start of the UNO game, the player to the dealer’s left side becomes the first player to play the game, and the game takes place in a clockwise direction. The action makes the game follow the clockwise direction by each player trying to match the card on top of the discard pile. 

When the Reverse card is played, the game switches to the right, which makes the game turn in the counterclockwise direction unless the player to which the game has been reversed places another Reverse card so that the game can flow in the same direction as it was before.

The reverse card appearance varies depending on the version of the game that is being played. However, a player can easily recognize it by looking at the two arrows always indicated on any version, and they face the opposite direction.

Can you play two reverse cards in UNO?

Yes, you can play two reverse cards in UNO. Depending on the number of players that play the game, two reverse cards have different impacts. 

In a multi-player game, playing two reverses by subsequent players in their turn has no impact on the game’s direction. Instead, the game returns to its original direction, but the two players got to discard an extra play. 

The first Reverse card changes the game’s direction in the opposite direction, but the second Reverse cards returns the game in the initial order.

When the two reverse cards are played with different players, the game is returned to the player who played the first reverse card after placing the second reverse card. 

For instance, if the game series follows 1-2-3-4 in that particular order, and player 1 plays the first reverse card, the game follows 4-3-2-1. If player 4 plays the second reverse card, the game return back to player 1.

When a player plays two reverse cards in a two-person game setup, the effect is the same as when one is placed. In both instances, the game returns back to the player who plays both reverse cards because the opposing player was skipped during each turn.

Can you stack the same card in UNO?

No, you cannot stack the same card in UNO. The official UNO rules do not allow the player to stack multiple cards in their turn. 

Players are only allowed to play one card at a time, and they can only put one card down per turn. Hence, the same player cannot stack another card unless the game rotates back to their turn in a two-player game.

Furthermore, a player cannot stack cards of different colors unless they are the same kind. 

What is the stacking rule in UNO?

Whether the player is stacking Reverse, Skip or any cards, it is important to know the basic rules to avoid any mistake and unfair game. 

Here are following rules of stacking in the UNO official rules:

  • Only Reverse cards are allowed to stack on top of Draw 2 cards and Draw 4 Wild cards when the colors match.
  • If the dealer flips the top of the Discard Pile and a Reverse card shows up, then the dealer gets to go first.The original order is counterclockwise, or left of the dealer, however stating Revers cards on top of each other will change that order.
  • When players play with their own house rules of allowing the playing of Draw 2 card, then if a player in their turn plays Draw 2 card the next player has to play another Draw card or go back to draw pile and draw two cards. 
  • If a player stacks a Draw 2 card, the next player draws four cards from the Draw Pile. But if the player instead plays another Draw 2 card, the next player in the series has to draw 6 cards from the Draw Pile, and the series continues in that particular drawing of cards
  • Stacking is also done in a Draw 4 Wild cards, and when the next player in line plays another Draw 4 card, the following player in line draws 8 cards from the draw pile. Ouch, that hurts!
stack reverse cards in UNO

Stacking Reverse Cards in UNO: Conclusion 

Stacking in UNO only happening when discarding cards. However, there is a time and place where the players may end up with Reverse cards and question if it is possible to stack Reverse cards on each other.

According to UNO official rule, Reverse cards provide the counter direction of game turns rotation when the game is played with multiple players. When played with only two players, the rotation doesn’t change.

No matter the amount of players, opponents may stack two or more Reverse cards on top of the previous played card. In a 2 player game, player may play two stacked reverse cards because the turn always come back to them, but with 3 or more players the scenario changes. 

If the player has same card, the player is not allowed to stack the same card in their turn unless you are playing with customized House Rules. The general rule is that each player can only play one card per turn, making it impossible for a player to stack cards unless it is a two-player game.

There are couple of tricks and game winning tactics. Read through these pro tips for stacking Reverse cards and apply the strategies to get a chance to win next time you play UNO.

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