When you’re playing a thrilling round of Uno, you want to ensure you’re playing it right. And one of the most confusing things in the game is whether or not you can skip yourself, with a “Skip” card or otherwise. That said, can you skip yourself in Uno?
You cannot skip yourself in Uno. Even if you decide not to play a card, you still must draw a card from the pile. You cannot use a skip card on yourself. The only time you can actually be skipped is if you are playing with an Uno deck that includes the “Wild Double Skip” card.
Knowing whether or not you can skip yourself in Uno is confusing – but this article is here to put your mind at ease. Below, you’ll uncover all the must-know information regarding skipping yourself in a game of Uno.
Can You Skip Your Turn in Uno?
If you don’t have any cards to play during your turn, you might wonder if you can simply skip yourself. That way, you won’t have to pick up any new cards, inching you closer to the ultimate goal of winning the game.
However, the Uno rules specifically state that even if you do not have a match or simply choose not to play a card, you must draw a card from the pile.
Essentially, you can skip playing a card, but you can’t skip your turn altogether. You must pick up a card from the draw pile, which means you aren’t skipping your turn in its entirety.
Can You Skip Yourself With a Skip Card?
There are many reasons why you might want to skip your turn in a game of Uno. However, the skip card does not mean that you are skipping your turn.
According to the rules of Uno, when you place down a skip card, the next player is forced to skip their turn.
For example: if the game is played clockwise and you set down a skip card, the person to your left will lose their turn outright. They cannot place down a card or pick up a card from the draw pile. The person to their left will play, and the game continues as such.
The skip card has nothing to do with your turn. However, if the player before you places down a skip card (the person to your right), you will lose your turn and be skipped. So, you’re not skipping yourself – another player is forcing you to skip your turn.
The Exception to the Rule: Wild Double Skip
There is a single circumstance where you can skip yourself in a game of Uno: using the Wild Double Skip card in a two-player game.
On January 10th, 2022, Uno introduced a few new playing cards into their deck, including the Wild Target +2, Wild Swap Hands, Wild Skip, Wild Reverse, and Wild Double Skip.
As you may assume, the Wild Double Skip card means two skips in a single card. When played, the following two players will lose their turn. For instance, if you play the double skip in a game going clockwise, the following two players to your left will be skipped – no placing or drawing cards allowed.
That said, in a two-player game, this can only mean one thing: if you play the Wild Double Skip card, your opponent will be skipped – and you will be skipped, too. That said, the only way to truly skip yourself in Uno is to play a Wild Double Skip card in a two-player game.
Note: These are all-new cards that are not a part of the original game. You will need to purchase the “new” game to use the Wild Double Skip and other new game cards.
You Can’t Skip Yourself in Uno Unless You Play the Wild Double Skip Card
Unfortunately, you can’t skip yourself in Uno. You must draw a card from the pile, even if you don’t want to put down any cards. The skip card only works on your opponents. However, if you’re playing a two-player game with the Wild Double Skip card, you can play it and skip your and your opponent’s next turns.
Why Skip Your Turn?
Why would you want to skip your turn in Uno in the first place?
There are two main reasons.
- For one, you might have a few wild cards you’re saving to win the game.
- Secondly, you might not want to pick up any new cards, as you’re almost out of cards.
Unfortunately, being able to skip yourself in Uno would make the game far too easy, which is why it’s not allowed.
For more, check out Can You Use the Same Word Twice in Scrabble?
Jim James is a published author and expert on the outdoors and survivalism. Through avid research and hands-on experience, he has gained expertise on a wide variety of topics. His time spent at college taught him to become really good at figuring out answers to common problems. Often through extensive trial and error, Jim has continued to learn and increase his knowledge of a vast array of topics related to firearms, hunting, fishing, medical topics, cooking, games/gaming, and other subjects too numerous to name.
Jim has been teaching people a wide variety of survivalism topics for over five years and has a lifetime of experience fishing, camping, general survivalism, and anything in nature. In fact, while growing up, he often spent more time on the water than on land! He has degrees in History, Anthropology, and Music from the University of Southern Mississippi. He extensively studied Southern History, nutrition, geopolitics, the Cold War, and nuclear policy strategies and safety as well as numerous other topics related to the content on survivalfreedom.com.