shedding / matching · Netherlands
Pesten
Also known as Pesten card game · Dutch Crazy Eights · Dutch Mau-Mau · Pestkaarten · Pesten kaartspel
Pesten is the Netherlands' best-loved family card game and a Dutch cousin of Crazy Eights, Mau-Mau and UNO. The name comes from the Dutch verb "pesten" — to tease or bully — because the game is full of "pest cards" that make your opponents draw cards, skip turns and suffer. The goal is pure shedding: be the first to get rid of every card in your hand by matching the suit or rank of the top discard, while special cards let you switch the suit and turn the screws on everyone else. It's quick to learn, friendly for 2 to 6 players, and famous in Dutch households for the rule that you must call "Last Card" before you play your final card or be punished with penalty cards. On lovecardgames.com, Pesten runs on our Crazy Eights engine — the same match-and-shed core that powers the whole Crazy Eights / Mau-Mau family — so the play feels just like the Dutch classic, with the 8 serving as the wild "switch the suit" card. Play Pesten online free against smart bots or with friends — no download, no signup.
2–6 players · free · no download · no signup
How to play Pesten
- Each player is dealt 7 cards; the rest form the face-down stock and the top card is flipped to start the discard pile.
- On your turn, play a card that matches the top discard by suit or by rank.
- Stuck? Play your wild card (the 8 in our engine, the Jack in traditional Pesten) and name the new suit everyone must follow.
- Use pest cards to attack — make the next player draw two with a 2, draw five with a Joker, skip them with an 8, or play again with a 7.
- No match and no wild? Draw one card from the stock; play it if you can, otherwise your turn ends.
- When you're down to a single card, remember to call "Last Card" — or risk a two-card penalty and a voided win.
- Be the first to play your very last card to win the round.
Pesten rules
Objective
Be the first player to play every card from your hand. There are no teams — it's every player for themselves. When you play your last card you win the round, but you must announce "Last Card" the moment you are down to a single card or you risk a penalty. In a scoring game you play several rounds, with players tallying the cards left in their hands, but the headline goal never changes: empty your hand first.
The deck and the deal
Traditional Pesten uses a standard 52-card deck plus the jokers, and deals 7 cards to each player. Here on lovecardgames.com Pesten plays on our Crazy Eights engine with a standard 52-card deck — the same matching-and-shedding flow. The remaining cards form a face-down stock pile, and the top card is turned face up to start the discard pile. Play normally proceeds clockwise, starting with the player to the dealer's left.
Playing a card
On your turn you must play one card that matches the top of the discard pile by SUIT or by RANK. For example, on the 7 of hearts you may play any heart (matching suit) or any 7 (matching rank). The card you play goes face up on the pile and becomes the new card to match. If you cannot match, you draw from the stock.
The pest cards (special cards)
Pesten is defined by its 'pest cards', the action cards that give the game its bite. In traditional Dutch Pesten: a 2 forces the next player to draw two cards (and 2s can be stacked, so a chain passes a growing penalty along until someone has no 2 and draws the total); a Joker forces the next player to draw five (also stackable); a 7 lets you play again ('the 7 sticks'); an 8 makes the next player skip a turn; the Jack (Boer) is wild — playable on anything — and the player who lays it names the suit everyone must follow; and the Ace (or King in some houses) reverses the direction of play. Our Crazy Eights engine keeps the wild 'switch the suit' card at the heart of the game — here it's the 8 you play on any card to declare a new suit, mirroring the Pesten Jack.
Drawing when you can't play
If you have no card that matches the suit or rank and no wild card, you draw one card from the stock. If the drawn card can be played you may play it immediately; otherwise your turn ends and play passes on. If a 2 or a Joker has been played against you and you cannot stack another pest card on top, you must draw the full penalty (2, 4, 6... or 5, 10...) and forfeit your turn. If the stock runs out, the discard pile is reshuffled (leaving its top card) to form a fresh stock so the game keeps going.
The "Last Card" rule
This is the signature rule of Pesten. When you play a card that leaves you holding just one card, you must announce "Last Card" (klikken op 'Laatste kaart') so everyone knows you are about to go out. If you forget and then play your final card to win, you are penalised: in the traditional game you draw two cards from the stock and your winning card does not count, snatching victory away. Stay alert — both to call your own Last Card and to catch opponents who go silent.
Winning
The first player to play their final card — after correctly calling "Last Card" — wins the round. In a casual game that's the whole match. For a longer game, play repeated rounds and tally the cards each loser is left holding, continuing until a player crosses an agreed total. In Pesten, being caught with high pest cards (Jokers and 2s) hurts the most.
Strategy tips
- Hold your wild card for emergencies — it's your escape when you can't match, and a costly card to be caught holding at the end.
- When you play the wild, declare the suit you hold the most of so you can keep playing on your following turns.
- Save your pest cards (the draw-two 2, the draw-five Joker, the skip 8) to ambush an opponent who is close to going out — well-timed, they can stall a winner cold.
- If you're hit with a draw-two or draw-five, stack another matching pest card to bounce the growing penalty onto the next player instead of drawing it yourself.
- Watch the discard pile to see which suits are thinning out, then switch to a suit your opponents probably can't follow.
- Never forget to call "Last Card" on your second-to-last play — being caught silent turns a near-win into a penalty draw.
Variants
Crazy Eights · Mau-Mau · Switch · UNO · Tschau Sepp · Stacking pest cards (2s and Jokers add up the penalty)
Pesten — frequently asked questions
How do you play Pesten?
Match the top discard by suit or rank, fire off pest cards like the 2 (draw two), Joker (draw five) and 8 (skip), and use the wild card to change the suit. Draw when you can't play. The first player to empty their hand wins — but you must call "Last Card" when you are down to one card.
What does Pesten mean?
Pesten is Dutch for 'to tease' or 'to bully'. The game is named for its pest cards — the 2, Joker, 7 and 8 — that force opponents to draw cards, skip turns or suffer, while you race to empty your hand.
What do the pest cards do in Pesten?
In traditional Dutch Pesten the 2 makes the next player draw two cards (stackable), the Joker makes them draw five (stackable), the 7 lets you play again, the 8 skips the next player, the Jack is wild so you can name the new suit, and the Ace or King reverses the direction of play.
What is the "Last Card" rule in Pesten?
When you play a card that leaves you with only one card in hand, you must announce "Last Card". If you forget and then play your final card, you're penalised — typically drawing two cards while your winning play is voided.
Is Pesten the same as Crazy Eights or Mau-Mau?
They're all in the same shedding family — match suit or rank, use wild cards, and race to empty your hand. Pesten is the Dutch version, Crazy Eights the English-language classic, and Mau-Mau the German cousin. On lovecardgames.com, Pesten plays on our Crazy Eights engine, so the wild 'switch the suit' card here is the 8.
How many players can play Pesten?
Pesten works for 2 to 6 players. It's a hugely popular family and party game in the Netherlands and plays well both head-to-head and in larger groups.