What is Ace skips?
In the standard game here the Eight skips the next player and the Ace reverses the direction of play. With Ace skips switched on, the Ace takes over the skip: the player after you misses a turn. The Eight becomes an ordinary card that only follows suit or rank.
A card has only one role, so the Ace no longer reverses. On its own, Ace skips leaves the game without a reverse card: play always goes the same way round the table. Switch on Nine reverses as well to bring a reverse back, on the Nine.
With two players a skip means you play again, exactly as the Eight does in the standard game. Sevens still make the next player draw two and Jacks are still wild.
Rule changes
| Rule | Standard Mau Mau | Ace skips |
|---|---|---|
| Skip card | Standard Mau MauThe Eight: the next player misses a turn. | Ace skipsThe Ace: the next player misses a turn. |
| The Eight | Standard Mau MauAn action card: it skips the next player. | Ace skipsAn ordinary card. |
| Reverse card | Standard Mau MauThe Ace reverses the direction of play. | Ace skipsNo card reverses play, unless Nine reverses is also on: then the Nine does. |
| Other options | Standard Mau MauThe 32-card deck, Nine reverses, penalty points and no Mau penalty can be chosen. | Ace skipsAce skips works with all of them. |
History
Which card skips the next player is one of the rules Mau Mau players disagree about. The Eight is the usual skip card, but in some regions the Ace skips the next player instead.
Related games make the same choice. In Prší, the Czech relative of Mau Mau played with 32 German-suited cards, Aces skip and Sevens make the next player draw. The Iranian game known as Evil Seven also gives the skip to the Ace.