Game Summary

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. With the success of the Tam O’Shanter, Five Crowns, Mediterrania, Tonio’s and The Ben Johnson in San Francisco, Richard Frank becomes known as “The King of Themed Restaurants.” 1965 Following Richard N. And wife Mary Alice Frank’s visit to Ye Olde Bell in England, Lawry’s purchases, remodels and renames the Hurley Bell in Corona del.

Five Crowns is a rummy-style card game where the objective is to have the lowest point total after all eleven hands have been completed. In this way, the game is similar to another rummy-style card game: Phase 10. It is most similar, though, to Three Thirteen.

Five Crowns uses a specialized deck of card with 5 suits, and each hand players are dealt a varying number of cards: 3 for the first hand, 4 for the second hand, up to 13 for the 11th hand. Additionally, the game uses both jokers and wild cards. The wild cards correlate with the number of cards dealt for the hand (e.g., each player has 3 cards to dealt to them for the first hand, so 3’s are wild; the 11th hand has 13 card dealt, so kings are wild).

# of Players: 1-7
Time to Play: Games generally last 45 minutes.
Recommended Minimum Age: 8 years old
Game Publisher: Set Enterprises

Game Contents

Two 58-card decks, each containing 5 of each suit (stars, hearts, clubs, spades, diamonds) and 3 jokers (116 cards total)

Key Concepts

Runs: A run is a sequence of three or more cards (e.g., 3-5) containing the same suit (i.e, cannot be a mix of two different suits). Any card in the sequence can be replaced by a wild card or joker.

Sets: Sets (or books) are three or more cards of the same value, no matter which suit. Cards in a set can be replaced by wild cards or jokers.

Wild Card: Wild cards can substitute for any card in a book or run. The card value serving as the wild card for a particular round changes.

Game Setup

Five Crowns Game Review

  1. Select a dealer.
  2. The dealer shuffles the deck, and then deals 3 cards to each player.
  3. The remaining cards are placed in the center of all players; this is the draw pile.
  4. The dealer turns the top card of the draw pile face up; this is the start of the discard pile
  5. Each hand after the initial hand functions the same way, except one extra card (compared to the prior hand) is dealt.

Five Crowns Card Game Rules

Playing a Hand

The player to the left of the dealer starts each turn.
On each player’s turn, they may either add the top card of the draw or the discard pile to their hand.
The goal for each player is to play out their hand by creating sets or runs. A set or run must contain at least three cards.
Play continues until one player lays out all of their cards. At that point, each other player has one more turn in which to empty their hand.
Once the points have been totaled, all cards are shuffled and the next hand is dealt. Remember: the number of cards in hand increases by one each round.

Scoring a Hand

Scores will need to be tracked through pen/paper or digitally.
The winner of the hand scores zero points, whereas all other players score points based on the cards remaining in their hand:

  • Jokers: 50
  • Wild Cards: 20 (changes for each round)
  • Kings: 13 points
  • Queens: 12 points
  • Jacks: 11 points
  • All Other: Point value = Face Value (10’s = 10; 9’s = 9, etc.)

Only cards left in hand are scored. Once scores are tallied, the next hand begins with the player on the left (clockwise) becoming the dealer.

Round Overviews

Round# of cards in handWild Card
133’s
244’s
355’s
466’s
577’s
688’s
799’s
81010’s
911Jacks
1012Queens
1113Kings

Winning the Game

Five

The winner is the player with the fewest points at the end of all 11 rounds. Though not part of the official rules I have seen, our “house rule” is that in case of a tie, the winner is the player who went out the most number of hands.

Tips

Avoid High Point Cards If All Things Equal

All things being equal, it is better to complete your books or runs using lower value cards. This way you score fewer points if you do not successfully play out your hand. This said, I would not sacrifice a good start (e.g., two kings) to pursue this strategy; instead, if it’s the first hand and you have two pairs (e.g., kings and fours) after drawing your card for the turn, then I would toss a king into the discard pile.

Ditch Jokers / Wild Cards

If it’s your final turn after a player has gone out, then you may consider discarding a wild card or joker. You have to decide whether it is more important to reduce the number of points assigned to you, at the risk of helping another player lay out all of their cards. This may depend on the score differential between yourself and the current winning player, or player(s) closest to you if you are currently winning.

Playing to Not Lose

If you’re on the last hand and have a healthy lead on everyone, then you can pursue a strategy of keeping as low card values as possible. As an example: if we consider 8 as an average score, then a lead of 105 points (8 x 13 + 1) is most likely safe for you to implement this approach. Just keep in mind that some opponents will not approve of this strategy.

Where to Buy Five Crowns

The easiest way to buy Five Crowns is through Amazon (note: affiliate link).
The quickest way is most probably your local Target, although not all stores may carry the game. You can check availability at the Walmart website.

If you enjoy the game and have younger kids, you may consider picking up Five Crowns Junior.

Interesting Facts about Five Crowns

  • When was Five Crowns Invented? Five Crowns was released in 1996.
  • What are the most points someone can score (i.e., lose in the most glorious fashion)? You can score as high as 1,225 points.

    Playing Five Crowns By Yourself

    I’m not going to list out the directions here; instead, I will direct you to SET’s official solitaire rules.

    If you’re looking for other fun solitaire card games, none of which use a traditional 52-card deck, then check out my list on this site.

Game Rules / How To Play / Instructions


8+

$10

5 Crown Card Game Rules

Five Crowns takes your traditional deck of cards to a new level. Cards look very similar to your traditional poker deck although there is an addition of a star suit (which is where it got its name Five Crowns). With a solitaire version of this game you can have anywhere from one to seven people playing.
Be sure you read through all the Five Crown game rules and instructions to get all the details needed to be able to play this game by yourself or with friends. You'll notice that most rules are common with other traditional card games but there are enough twists that strategy becomes a key player in this game. If you have any tips or tricks on how to play this game let us know below. Give the card game Five Crowns a try!
  • You'll Get Two 58-card Decks
  • Official Five Crowns Game Rules And Instructions
If you can have the lowest number of points after playing all eleven hands of the game then you'll be the winner.
Please keep in mind that the official Five Crowns rules and instructions could be different depending on the game version you have. The rules below are some of the exact directions that came in the original packaging.

Share with us your comments, funny stories, tips, advice, strategies, creative ways to play, questions about how to play, problems with the directions or anything you want about Five Crowns. All submissions will be reviewed within 24 hours.
Kaili says:
When WOULDN’T you be able to use a wild card? Hint 3 on the instructions says “if you have a wild card in your hand that you can’t use - you are allowed to discard it.”
Paula says:
Do you have to have 2 natural cards and 1 wild card to make a a 3 card run or set
terry says:
Can anyone pick up a discarded wild card during regular play, or does the next person in turn gets it??
terry says:
How do I receive an answer to my question?
Steve says:
Question on unused cards. Example: Deal number 11 you have to have 2-4 card books or runs and 1- 3 card book or run to go out. With this example your opponent has left in their hand 3- 3 card book and runs but can't complete a 4 card run or book. Does the opponent have to only count the two remaining cards or all 8 remaining cards cause they can't complete any 4 card books or runs?
Ya boi says:
What happens of there is a tie at the end of the game?
Ron says:
When can you start the runs
Nina says:
Do you need a discard to go out
Valerie says:
Can you combine books and runs in one hand or is it one or the other?

Five Crowns Game Directions

tim says:
how many cards do you get at the start of five crowns?
fran says:
it seems quite a few players have this question. Do you have to have two naturals to use a wild card? We play that you do need two naturals. Thanks.
larry says:
what happens if someone only has one card left.
Edna says:
What do you do when you have a tied game
Graham says:
can I combine runs and books ie 5, 6, 7, 7, 6, 5 Long running argument with my wife as she says I cant descend from 7, 6, 5
Julie Taylor says:
What happens if there is a tie at the end of a game? Are there two winners or is an extra hand player to determine the winner?
Shirley says:
If someone accidentally discards a wild card who gets that card from the discard pile?
Barry says:
At the end of all rounds played and there is a tie. Who wins or are extra hand(s) played.
Al says:
can I make a play with this run, 2-J of spade, 1-queen of spade and 1-king of spade and can I make a play with this book, 2-ten of hearts, 1-ten of diamonds and 1-ten of spades, also can I play two wild cards with 1-natural card?

Five Crowns Game Walmart

Lorraine says:
Problem..deals me 3 cards, a joker,a 3(wild card) and a queen. Can I go out with this hand or do I need 2 queens and 1 wild card or 1 joker to go out?