Everyone loves a good card game, don’t they? So if you’re looking for a new game to play with friends, we highly recommend trying Five Crowns. In this guide, we’ll talk more about how the game works and go over the official rules you need to know.
What is The Five Crowns Card Game?
Five Crowns is a very unusual card game in many respects, and it uses five decks instead of the standard four. The card numbers are a bit different. In Five Crowns, players win by getting the lowest score at the end of the 11th (and final) round.
The gameplay is very similar to Rummy in many respects. For example, you can get rid of cards by creating runs and books. Now Rummy is a game with many variants. We’ve already looked at some popular variants; Shanghai Rummy and Liverpool Rummy are just two examples.
While each version of Rummy will have some gameplay differences and unique rules, they usually all follow a similar pattern. So, fans of Rummy games will be sure to enjoy a game of Five Crowns.
Before we talk about the rules and how exactly runs and books work, we need to discuss what you’ll need to play. Of course, many other versions of Rummy can be played with your standard card deck. But as you already know, the deck in Five Crowns is a little different.
What You’ll Need To Play?
To play the Five Crowns card game, you’ll need a game set, and buying a set online is likely your best bet like this Five Crowns set. You can also buy Five Crowns score sheets, that while not essential, might come in handy.
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The Cards
Now, this is where things get different! While some of the cards might seem familiar, others will be entirely new to people. Five Crowns, as the name implies, uses five different suits.
These are the classic suits of spades, diamonds, hearts, and clubs, along with a new suit stars. The set-up of the cards is also a little different, and each suit includes eleven cards in total. In addition, there are the three face cards king, queen, and jacks.
Along with numbered cards from three to ten. But that’s not the only cards in the deck; you also get three Joker cards. A Five Crowns game set will include two decks, and the game is played using both. So, that’s everything included in the game set; let’s now take a look at those all-important rules.
Rules and Gameplay
The Aim of The Game
The game aims to win! To do this, you’ll need to get the lowest score at the end of the game. While this might sound simple enough, it will likely prove quite tricky. Just like in Rummy 500, you’ll need careful planning, strategy, and a little luck to win.
The Set-Up
Five Crowns can be played with between two to seven people. However, it is an excellent group card game, so it is best played with four or more people. To set up a game, one player should carefully shuffle the deck and then deal out cards.
The first round starts with each player being dealt three cards each in a clockwise direction. Each round, the number of cards dealt with each player increases by one. So, in the final round, each player will be dealt eleven cards.
When the card for the round is dealt, the remaining cards should be placed in the middle, and these will then form the draw pile. Before starting the round, take one card off the pile and put it down, so it’s face-up; this card creates the discard pile.
Book and Runs
Just like in Rummy, cards can only be removed from your hand in either a book or a run. Books are three (or more) matching cards; the suit doesn’t matter as long as the number is the same. Runs, on the other hand, are a numerical sequence of cards of the same suit.
Like in Uno, wild cards also appear in Five Crowns and can be used in the same way. In addition, a wild card can take the form of any other, making them useful when building books and runs. Now the way wild cards work is a little different, though.
Joker cards are always wild, but the other wild cards change each round! However, the wild cards will be the same as the number of cards dealt each round. So, in the first round, the three cards will be wild, the four cards will be wild in the second round, and so on.
Playing Five Crowns
The player to the dealer’s left goes first; before attempting to make runs/books take either a card from the draw pile or the top card from the discard pile. Then you can play any runs or books you have. You must have at least one card left in your hand to discard at the end of the round.
Once one player goes all out (which means they have played all their cards, minus the one they need to discard), all other players will only have one more turn before the end of the round. After that, any cards not discarded will be added to your total.
Numbered cards are worth their face value, while the current numbered wild card is worth twenty points. Jacks are worth eleven points, Queens are worth twelve points, and Kings are worth thirteen points. Finally, any Joker cards remaining are worth fifty points.
Once all eleven rounds have been completed, the totals are tallied up. The winner of Five Crowns is the player with the lowest score.
Five Crowns – A Fun Rummy Alternative
Five Crowns is a fun card game and a great alternative to traditional Rummy. The game involves a lot of strategies and planning to win. The addition of a new suit also helps it stand out amongst other card games. So if you’re looking for a new game to play, give Five Crowns a try.
