Rigging the Deck
Once you know you are going to play Uno, get your hands on the deck of cards you will be playing with. This whole section could be deflected if you are caught cheating. Be sneaky and subtle.
Take the deck of cards and go up to your bedroom with it. Close the door so you won't be seen.
Put the deck face down and start taking cards one at a time off the top of the deck. Separate these cards into as many piles as the amount of people you will be playing with. Put 5 good cards, along with 2 number cards, in the first pile. The other 3 piles should be 6 number cards, with 1 Skip, Reverse, Wild, or Swap Hands card. Do not put any Draw 2 or Draw 4 cards into anyone else's hands.
Go into the room you will be playing in. Set up the playing table (if it's not there already) and put the deck of cards in the middle of the table.
Check the "good" hand of cards (the one with 5 action cards) and see if you have any Skip, Reverse, or Draw 2 cards. If so, take the first card from the top of the deck, but if its color doesn't match, keep going with the cards until the colors match. If you have all Wilds, Draw 4s, or Swap Hands cards, this step doesn't matter since you can always just change the color.
Set out the rest of the cards. In the chair you want to sit in, put your deck (the good one) in front of that chair. Put the other decks in front of the other chairs (it doesn't matter which other one goes where).
If anybody questions it, just say you wanted to do a favor for [insert default shuffler/dealer here] so they could have a break.
Using the “Fake Right, Run Left” Technique
Make a wild gesture toward the back of the room. Direct the other player’s attention to the back of the room to distract them. This way, they won’t notice your tricks. For example, you can point out an insect high up on a wall. In addition, you can scream and point to something behind the other players.
Steal a powerful card from the other players if you need a strong card. As the other players turn their back, snatch a few cards from their pile. Move your hands very quickly so they don’t see! Do this if you only have cards with numbers on them and need a Wild card or Skip card, for instance.
Put several of your cards in the discard pile if you have too many. When the other players turn their back, place a few of your cards from the discard pile. Do this in a very quick motion so they don’t notice movement from behind and catch you. Don’t place all of your cards in the pile so it seems more realistic. Instead, keep 1-3 cards and run out in a couple turns. This way, the other players are less likely to notice your deception.
Avoid doing this if there are many mirrors in the room. If the room where you’re playing has many mirrors on the walls, the reflection may blow your cover. Try another cheating method instead. For example, some living rooms and dining rooms are decorated with large, paneled mirrors.
Doing the “Melon Drop”
Wave your arms around the table so you look silly or intoxicated. As you play the game, convince the other players that you are goofy and ridiculous. Say silly comments and tease other players, for instance. Act a bit clumsy as well. Then, when you are ready to make your move, lift up both of your arms so you can bump into another player. You can sway from side to side or almost spill your drink. This makes it more convincing when you bump into the other player.
Knock another player’s cards out of their hand along with your own. As you wave your arms around, bump into another player to make them drop their cards. As you do this, drop your cards nearby. This way, your cards get mixed up and you can switch some of their cards for your own. Make this look as natural as possible so you don’t get caught. If you look like you are intentionally knocking their cards out, it will not look authentic.
Rearrange the cards on the floor out of view of the other players. When you knock over their cards, say something like, “Oh gosh, I’m so sorry. Let me get those for you,” and quickly duck under the table. Pick up the cards into 2 loose piles, 1 for you and 1 for the other player. As you do this, select the cards that you want and put them in your pile. Rearrange the cards as quickly as you can. You can also reach for the cards as soon as it happens, though the other player may try to help pick them up. Make sure the other player cannot see you rearranging the cards.
Hand the cards back to the other player, including a powerful card. When rearranging the cards, include 1 of your “good” cards, such as a Reverse or Skip card. This way, the other player is not suspicious since you are giving them a “gift.” The other player may interpret the card shuffle as a positive thing in their favor, when in reality you may give them 2-3 extra cards without them noticing.
Swap similar colored cards so the other player is less suspicious. When you switch the cards, pay attention to the main colors of the other player’s hand. For instance, if the player has a lot of blue cards, give them lots of blue cards. This way, they are less likely to notice you may have snuck a card from them.
Trying the “Behold the Scarabeaus” Strategy
Pick a few unwanted cards to get rid of. To make this as convincing as possible, don’t get rid of all of your cards. Leave 1-3 cards in your hand, and get rid of the others. Do this about half way into the game, so you can accumulate some cards first. If you can, save any powerful cards, such as Wild cards, Reverse cards, or Draw 2 cards.
Place the cards into an item when the other players aren’t looking. For an easy option, use a glass soda bottle. Put the bottle across the room in line with the restroom. Without anyone noticing, sneak your cards into your lap in 1 stack, and place them in your hand. Use the sleeve of your jacket to hide the cards, and politely excuse yourself to use the restroom. Then, put the cards inside the bottle when you walk towards the bathroom. This way, you get rid of many of your cards, so you can be the first to say, “UNO.” The item you use will depend on what is available to you. For instance, you can also hide the cards in a cabinet in your bathroom. This requires some sleight of hand.
Act surprised if someone finds the hidden cards. If someone happens to find your cards inside the bottle, act like you have no idea what they are talking about. Say something like, “How could those get inside there?” Alternatively, get up as soon as you win the game. That way, your trick cannot be discovered.
Counting Cards
Pay attention to every card that is played. Make a mental note of each card that is played. This may take some practice, but the more attention you pay to the game, the better your focus will be. Doing this will give you an advantage over the other players. By counting cards, you can learn to predict the moves of other players.
Play a different color if a player uses many of the same colored cards. While paying attention to the cards, if you notice 1 player using many of the same color, such as green, use a card to throw them off track. You can use a card with the same number but with a different color, for instance. For example, if 1 player plays a green 7, play a blue 7. This changes the suit from green to blue.
Use many of the same color if another player continues to draw cards. For example, if you notice 1 player has no yellow cards, keep the suit yellow as long as you can. You can maintain the suit by using yellow cards if you have them. This gets rid of your cards while making them draw additional cards.
Use Wild cards to control the color in play. When it is your turn, select a Wild card to change the color to any suit you’d like. If a player uses many of the same color, use a Wild card to switch the suit. In addition, if you want to keep a color the same as long as you can, play a Wild card to switch the color back. Wild cards are the most powerful card in the game. By using them to your advantage, you can easily win.
Deflecting Cheating Methods
Read Uno cheating tips online (as well as the other methods in this article) to get an idea of what you're up against.
Delegate a referee to control the game. This should be an adult or older child who can be fair and track moves accurately. They should use a notepad to record all moves in case anybody gets into a game-related argument. The referee is not a part of regular gameplay, but it is a good idea especially if you have young children who cheat.
Come up with a house rule that makes you draw another full hand if you are caught cheating. This would be terrible if you are caught with cards in your lap as you are about to go out of cards, so this should keep people from cheating. Similarly, there could be a rule that says the person is "out" if they cheat. This is where they are still playing the game, but are ineligible to win, get an Uno, or make other players draw cards. They must forfeit any action cards in their hand upon being caught cheating.
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