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How to play Five Crowns (2026): Five Crowns is a rummy-style card game with five suits and a wild card that changes every round. You play 11 rounds, starting with three cards and ending with 13, and the lowest total score wins. It takes one to seven players and about 45 minutes. This guide follows the official PlayMonster instructions: what is in the box, the deal, a full turn, going out, scoring and a few tips for the last rounds.
Get the game: Five Crowns
The standard pack holds two 58-card decks shuffled together, 116 cards in all. It costs about $10, which makes it one of the cheapest family card games worth owning. The collectible tin (about $20) holds the same game in a sturdier case.
Price band: Under $10 (about $10) · Check today’s price on Amazon
What is in a Five Crowns deck
Each of the two decks has five suits: stars, hearts, clubs, spades and diamonds. Every suit runs 3 through 10, then Jack, Queen and King, so there are no aces or twos. Each deck also has three Jokers. The fifth suit, stars, is what makes the game feel different from regular rummy, because it gives you more ways to finish a run.
The goal of Five Crowns
Finish all 11 rounds with the lowest score. In each round you try to arrange your whole hand into books and runs, then go out. Any cards you cannot use count against you.
- Book: three or more cards of the same rank in any suits, such as three 8s.
- Run: three or more cards in sequence in one suit, such as 9, 10, Jack, Queen of stars.
- Wilds: Jokers are always wild. The rotating wild matches the number of cards dealt that round, so 3s are wild in round one and Kings are wild in the last round. You may use as many wilds as you like in a book or run, even side by side.
The 11-round deal at a glance
| Round | Cards dealt | Wild cards |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 3s and Jokers |
| 2 | 4 | 4s and Jokers |
| 3 | 5 | 5s and Jokers |
| 4 | 6 | 6s and Jokers |
| 5 | 7 | 7s and Jokers |
| 6 | 8 | 8s and Jokers |
| 7 | 9 | 9s and Jokers |
| 8 | 10 | 10s and Jokers |
| 9 | 11 | Jacks and Jokers |
| 10 | 12 | Queens and Jokers |
| 11 | 13 | Kings and Jokers |
Shuffle both decks together. The dealer deals cards one at a time clockwise, puts the rest face down as the draw pile and flips the top card to start the discard pile. The deal passes to the left each round. When you lose track of the wild, count your starting hand: that number is wild.
Taking a turn in Five Crowns
- The player left of the dealer goes first, and play moves clockwise.
- Start your turn by drawing the top card of the draw pile or the top card of the discard pile. You may only take the top card.
- Keep your books and runs in your hand. You do not lay them down until you go out.
- End your turn by discarding one card face up.
Going out and the final lap
To go out, take your turn as normal, lay your entire hand on the table in books and runs, then discard your last card. You must keep one card to discard, and that card may even be playable. You can only use the cards you were dealt that round, not extra ones.
Once someone goes out, every other player gets exactly one more turn. On that turn, lay down any books and runs you can, then discard. You cannot add cards to another player’s melds. Whatever is left in your hand is scored.
How Five Crowns scoring works
| Card left in hand | Points |
|---|---|
| 3 through 10 | Face value |
| Jack | 11 points |
| Queen | 12 points |
| King | 13 points |
| Current wild card | 20 points |
| Joker | 50 points |
The player who went out scores zero for the round. Everyone else adds up their unused cards, and the scorekeeper keeps a running total. After round 11, when Kings are wild and everyone holds 13 cards, the lowest total wins. If there is a tie, the rules allow shared victory or a six-card tiebreak round for the tied players.
Small rules people forget
- If you hold a wild card you cannot use, you may discard it. It saves you 20 or 50 points but can hand the next player a gift.
- If the draw pile runs out, shuffle the discard pile to make a new one.
- Combine two sets to play with up to 14 people at a party.
- There is a solitaire version: deal 11 piles from 3 to 13 cards and try to close every hand with the remaining deck.
Strategy tips for Five Crowns
- Go out early in the small rounds. With three or four cards, a fast finish catches opponents holding Kings.
- Dump high cards when a round looks lost. A leftover King costs 13 points; a leftover 3 costs three.
- Watch the discard pile. If the player on your left is collecting hearts, hold your hearts until they can no longer help.
- Never discard the current wild unless you must. Even late, wilds turn a messy hand into a run.
Five Crowns pairs well with other family rummy games. Read Five Crowns vs Phase 10 to compare the two, or browse our card games to play on Thanksgiving and best family card games.
Five Crowns rules questions
How many cards are in Five Crowns?
116: two 58-card decks, each with five suits of 3 through King plus three Jokers.
Can you lay down cards before going out in Five Crowns?
No. You keep books and runs in your hand until you go out. Other players lay down only on their final turn after someone goes out.
How many players can play Five Crowns?
One to seven with one pack. Two packs combined handle up to 14.
