Official Five Crowns Rules

Last Updated on September 3, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

Five Crowns is a rummy-style card game, similar to Gin Rummy, but with a unique twist: the wild card changes each round, progressing from threes to kings. This page provides a clear breakdown of the rules, guiding you through the melding, wild card strategy, and scoring that define this game. Here’s a breakdown of the rules and how to play:

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How to Play Five Crowns

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Objective

To obtain the lowest number of points after playing all eleven hands of the game.

Game Components

• Deck: Two 58-card decks for a total of 116 cards, including:3 Jokers per deck (6 total)
  5 suits: Stars (★), Hearts (♥), Clubs (♣), Spades (♠), and Diamonds (♦).
  Each suit contains cards numbered 3 through 10, plus Jack, Queen, and King.

Card Values

• Number cards: Face value (e.g., 3 = 3 points)
• Jack: 11 points
• Queen: 12 points
• King: 13 points
• Joker: 50 points
• Current Wild Card: 20 points

The wild card corresponds to the number of cards dealt in the hand. For instance:

• In the third hand, 3s are wild.
• In the fourth hand, 4s are wild.
• For the final hand, Kings are wild.
  Jokers are always wild.

Definitions

1. Runs: A sequence of three or more cards in the same suit (e.g., 5♣, 6♣, 7♣).Wild cards or Jokers can substitute any card in a run (e.g., 6♦, Joker, 8♦).
   Multiple wild cards can be used, and they can appear adjacent.
2. Books: Three or more cards of the same value regardless of suit (e.g., 8♣, 8★, 8♠).Wild cards or Jokers can substitute any card in a book.

Setup and Deal

1. Shuffle: Combine and shuffle both decks thoroughly.
2. Deal:For the first hand, deal 3 cards to each player.
   For each subsequent hand, increase the number of cards by one (e.g., 4 cards in the second hand, 5 in the third, up to 13 cards for the final hand).
3. Stock and Discard Piles: Place the remaining cards face down as the draw pile. Flip the top card to create the discard pile.
4. Wild Card: The wild card matches the number of cards dealt (e.g., 3s are wild in the first hand).

Gameplay

1. Taking Turns:
   • Play starts with the player to the left of the dealer and proceeds clockwise.
   • On your turn:
     1. Draw one card from either the draw pile or the top of the discard pile.
     2. Arrange your cards into runs or books if possible.
     3. End your turn by discarding one card.
2. Going Out:
   • To go out, arrange all cards in your hand into runs and/or books, leaving one card to discard.
   • Once a player goes out, the remaining players each take one more turn to arrange and lay down their cards.
   • Points are tallied based on the cards left in each player’s hand.
3. Scoring:
   • Add up the point values of unused cards in your hand. Wild cards (20 points) and Jokers (50 points) carry significant penalties.
   • The dealer role rotates, and play continues to the next hand.

Winning the Game

• The first player to discard all their cards in their hand during their turn and go out wins the game!
• After completing all eleven hands, the player with the lowest cumulative score is the winner.

Notes/Variations

Special Notes and Strategies

• Keep Options Open: Avoid committing to books or runs too early. Flexibility is key to minimizing your score.
• Managing Wild Cards and Jokers: Discarding a wild card or Joker may reduce your score but could benefit opponents. Use with caution.
• Card Reference: Unsure of the wild card? Count the number of cards dealt in that hand.
• Last Hand Rules: In the eleventh hand, if the draw pile is depleted, shuffle the discard pile to replenish it.

Solitaire Rules

1. Objective: Close out all 11 hands.
2. Setup:
   • Lay out 11 piles corresponding to each hand, starting with 3 cards in the first pile and increasing to 13 in the eleventh pile.
   • The wild card for each pile matches its size (e.g., 3s for the first pile, 4s for the second, etc.).
3. Play:
   • Draw one card at a time from the remaining deck. Play the card in the pile where it will be most helpful, then discard one card from that pile.
   • Cards cannot be moved between piles.
   • When a pile is complete, turn it over.
4. Winning: You win if you complete all piles before running out of cards in the deck. If not, you lose.

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Five Crowns FAQ

Five Crowns is a fun and strategic game that can be enjoyed by players of all ages.