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UNO Rules Last Card

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The Uno game continues until a player is left with one card in hand, and must say the word “uno.” If a player is caught without declaring the phrase “uno,” and the next player has taken their turn, then there is no penalty given to the player left with only one card.

For a player to be left with one card, they must discard cards by matching either number, symbol and color to that of the top card on the Discard Pile. If they don’t have a matching color, they must draw a card to end their turn.

So, what are the Uno rules of the last card? Whenever a player has one card left, they must say the word “uno,” and if they fail and another player catches them prior to the next player taking their turn, they must draw four cards from the Draw Pile as a penalty.

When the last card is a power card, either draw two or draw four. The next player must take action to draw the cards so that the points are added to the final score. 

If a player cannot discard the last card because it is not matching with either symbol, number or color, they must draw another card and wait for the next turn to discard and repeat the word “uno” once again. In general, players must always say the phrase any time they are left with only one last card in their hand.

When the last card is discarded, the round is over, the game is stopped, the points are tallied, and the cards are shuffled and dealt for the next round to begin. 

In the Uno game, players compete to reach 500 points. However, players may decide the number of points at the beginning of the game, but all other players must agree upon it.

This article discusses all the possibilities of the Uno last card rules. Answered below are frequently asked questions about the last card in Uno and rules for playing the hand when a player only has one card remaining.

Can you end UNO with an action card?

Yes, an action card can be discarded as the last card during the player’s turn in Uno. When that happens, the game ends, and the points are tallied; however if the power card is a Draw 2 or Draw 4, the next player has to draw two or four cards, respectively, before the points can be tallied and the round ends.

A player must collect the cards because they are counted when the total points are being counted. 

No matter what, a player must announce the phrase “uno” before the next player finishes their turn, otherwise they risk being penalized to draw four cards if another player calls “uno” before they do. 

When an action card is played last, the player’s hand is over, and the round stops for the total tally to be done. Once the tally is done and score is added, then a new round is started. 

What cards can you not finish on in UNO?

A player cannot end the game with multiple cards. Therefore, a player can only end the Uno game if one card is left in their hand and it is either Wild or matches the top of the Discard pile, otherwise they will have to draw a card and wait until the next turn. 

When the round ends, total points are counted, and the game is started over again. If the last card is a power card, especially Draw four and Draw two, the next player has to draw cards so the points are added to the final score.

However, rules vary depending on the players who play the game. Some house rules can allow the stacking of multiple cards. If that’s the case, then any card can end the game.

How do you play the last card in UNO?

If the last card is playable and matches the color of the top card in the Discard pile, then the player can discard it, and the round is over. When they cannot play the card, the player has to draw another card from the Draw pile, and wait for their next turn.

A Wild can be played on any card, so it doesn’t matter what card is on top of the Discard pile.

If the last card is an action card such as Draw 2 or Wild Draw 4, the next player has to draw the cards before the game ends because those cards are inclusive of the final score tally. 

Once the last card is discarded, the player’s hand is over, and the game ends. Points are counted according to the score sheet, and the next round is started.

What are the rules of the last card?

  • When the last card is played, that player’s hand is over, and the round ends at that point. The points of each player are tallied with a goal to achieve 500 points, though house rules vary about the winning score.
  • When the second to last card is played, the player has to announce the word “uno.” Failure to do so results in a penalty of four cards if the player is caught before the end of the next players turn. If not caught, a player can get away with it and avoid the penalty.
  • When the last card played is an action card (Wild Draw Four or Draw Two), the next player must draw cards before the round ends because the score will be included in the final tally of points.
Last card rules in UNO

Last Card Rules in Uno: Conclusion 

The Uno game is played until one of the players discard the last card from their hand. Once the player is left with zero cards after discarding the last card, the round comes to an end, points are counted and the game starts over again. 

Official Uno rules state that players try to reach 500 points to determine the winner, however house rules may vary about the winning point tally. 

When the last card played is an action card whether it is a Wild Draw 4 or Draw 2 card, the action must be taken by the next player to draw the cards before the round ends. This is because the cards collected are included as part of the total points and added to the winners score.

Stacking multiple cards is not allowed in the Uno game, and therefore, a player cannot end an Uno game with multiple cards played all at once. 

A player has to announce the word “uno” after placing the second to last card on the Discard pile. If the player fails to mention the word before the next player plays, and another player notices it, the player with the last card is given a penalty of four cards

If a player manages to get away with it, then no penalty is awarded to the player with one card remaining. Understand the rules regarding the final card in Uno so that you can continue to have fun playing a fair game. 

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