The discard pile, except its top card, is shuffled to make a new draw pile. If no cards remain to draw, the game ends in a draw.
When a player has to draw and the draw pile is empty, the discard pile is recycled. Every card except the top one is shuffled to form a new draw pile, and the top card stays in place so the active suit does not change.
When nothing can be recycled
If the draw pile is empty and the discard pile holds only its top card, there is nothing left to draw. The game ends as a draw, with no winner. It is rare, but it can happen in a long game where both players keep drawing.
- The reshuffle happens only when someone must draw.
- The top discard and the active suit stay the same.
- You can only draw at all when you have no legal play.
To avoid a stalled game, play out your hand: see the strategy guide, or check how many cards are in the pile at the start.