1Play a card that matches the top card's suit or rank.
2A 7 makes the next player draw two cards.
3A Jack lets you choose the next suit.
4Say 'Mau' as you play your second-to-last card; the first to empty their hand wins.
Questions
Be the first to discard all your cards. Say 'Mau' on your second-to-last card and 'Mau Mau' on your last. The first player to correctly discard all cards and say 'Mau Mau' wins. Remaining players count their cards against them for scoring.
Use a 32-card deck (7s through Aces) for authentic rules, or a standard 52-card deck. Deal 5-6 cards each. Place the deck as a draw pile and flip one card to start the discard pile.
Save your Jacks for when you need to change suit. Stack 7s if possible to force massive draws onto the next player. Remember to say 'Mau' - forgetting costs you two penalty cards.
Mau Mau originated in Germany and became popular across Europe. The game likely developed in the early 20th century. It's known by many regional names with slightly varying rules.