Labor Day weekend is approaching, which means family gatherings could include barbecue, dominoes, Bid Whist, Spades and, of course, UNO.
But before somebody flips the card table over a Draw 4, it may be time to clear up one of the biggest UNO debates.
Under the standard rules for the classic physical UNO card game, you cannot stack Draw 2 or Draw 4 cards.
If someone plays a Draw 2 on you, you must draw two cards and lose your turn. You cannot respond by throwing down another Draw 2 and forcing the next person to pick up four.
The same applies to a Wild Draw 4. When one is legally played, the next person draws four cards and loses their turn. You cannot place another Draw 4 or Draw 2 on top of it to pass an even bigger penalty to the next player.
Of course, plenty of families have been ignoring that rule for years.
UNO has inspired countless “house rules,” and some newer versions and specialty editions of the game actually include different stacking options. But if you are playing the traditional game by its standard rules, stacking those draw cards is not part of the deal.
So before the cards come out this weekend, everybody may want to agree on the rules first.
Because nothing ruins a family cookout faster than somebody yelling, “You gotta draw eight!”