When playing newer versions of the UNO game, you may come across the Shuffle Hands Card. After playing the card, the player should collect all cards from the players, shuffle and re-deal the cards evenly.
The Shuffle Hands card is treated like a Wild card since it can be played at any moment, irrespective of which the card is at the top of the discard pile. Additionally, the player gets the privilege of deciding which color the game will follow any time the card is played.
What happens if Shuffle Hands is your last card in UNO? According to an official rules, the player should collect everybody’s cards, shuffle, and then deal the cards evenly back to players, including themselves. Even though the Shuffle Hands card is used as their last card, the player also gets a new hand of cards.
Therefore, the Shuffle Hands card cannot be used to end the game as per the official rules.
However, some house rules treats the Shuffle Hands card like any other Wild card when played as the last card, which means the player who played the card ends and wins the game.
So, if players are playing by the official rules, one cannot win UNO with the Shuffle Hands card as a final card unless they apply the house rule.
When it happens to you at an inconvenient time, it is common that people find the Shuffle Hands card to be unfair. The fact that a player cannot play it as the last card will force the player to use the card before reaching their final card.
This is not always beneficial for a player unless they have unplayable cards in their hand. For this reason, players also use the card as a Swap Hands card, but that has different outcome.
What does the shuffle hands card do in UNO?
Once the card is played, the player takes all cards from each player’s hands, shuffle the cards together, and then deals the cards equally to all the players, including themselves, as if the game is starting over again.
The card acts as a Wild card, meaning the player who plays the card gets to choose which color to continue the play, and gameplay resumes in the same direction.
When can you play the Shuffle hands card in UNO?
Like other “wild cards,” a player can play the Shuffle Hands card at any time during a turn, regardless of the card played lastly on the discard pile. Since it’s used as a wild card, the player gets to decide which color continues the play.
In most cases, players use it once they realize they have cards in their hand that they can’t play, and there is a need to rebrand their hand and get better cards, though the opposite can happen and you could end up with a worse hand.
Can you win UNO on Shuffle Hands?
No, you cannot win when Shuffle Hands is played as the last card. The player can’t end the game because they are included when dealing out the cards after shuffling.
According to the official statement published by UNO, it’s mandatory for the player who played it to take all the cards from the players’ hands, shuffle the cards, and reissue them out evenly across all players, including themselves.
If they play the card as the last card, they get a new hand after shuffling the cards. For this reason, many players use it before they run out of cards in hand.
However, many UNO fanatics find it difficult to follow the rule. So, they apply their own house rule and treat the card just like any other wild card when played last to win the game.
Shuffle Hands Last Card: Conclusion
Many people think official rules released lately regarding Shuffle Hands Card are a bit unfair since they can’t use the card to end the game, so they are reluctant to apply the rule. However, players can always change the rules to suit their gameplay and customize with house rules of their own.
If proper rules are followed, it’s advisable to use the card when one feels like their hand is not playable. Playing the card gives that player a chance to improve their hand since they get a new hand after re-dealing the cards.
If you play the Shuffle Hands as the final card, then you are included in the redistribution of cards after being shuffled together. Therefore, saving it for the last card might not be the best strategy to win.
Playing a Shuffle Hands Card is a matter of taking chances. Of course, UNO is a game of chances, and playing the card does not guarantee one will get a better hand than they had before.
Man
Friday 12th of August 2022
Thank you for making the last card being shuffle hands card more clear