How to keep score in Five Crowns

Five Crowns is played over 11 rounds, from 3 cards up to 13, and the wild card changes every round. When someone goes out, everyone else gets one more turn, then scores the cards they couldn't meld. After 11 rounds, the lowest total wins.

At a glance

• Players: 2 to 7

• Who wins: Lowest total after 11 rounds

• Rounds: 11, from 3 cards up to 13

• Wild cards: Jokers, plus a new rank each round

What each card is worth

At the end of a round, score only the cards left in your hand that aren't in a book or a run. The player who went out scores 0.

A wild card left in your hand counts 20 whatever its rank, so in the kings round a stray king costs 20, not 13.

The wild card each round

The number of cards dealt tells you what's wild. Round 1 deals 3 cards and 3s are wild, round 2 deals 4 cards and 4s are wild, and so on up to round 8, with 10 cards and 10s wild.

Then jacks are wild in round 9 (11 cards), queens in round 10 (12 cards) and kings in round 11 (13 cards). Jokers are wild in every round. The printable sheet below has every round's wild card down the side.

Going out and the last turn

You go out by laying down your whole hand in books (three or more of the same rank) and runs (three or more in a row of one suit), with one card left to discard.

Once someone goes out, every other player gets one more turn. They lay down whatever books and runs they can, and score the cards that are left. Anyone who lays down everything on that last turn scores 0 as well.

When the game ends

After round 11, with 13 cards and kings wild, add up the totals. The lowest total wins. The rules have no tie-break, so tied players share the win.

Going out first doesn't earn a bonus. 0 is the best score a round can give you.

A scoring example

Four players, the first three rounds. Ana went out in round 1, and Cleo laid down all three of her cards on her last turn, so both scored 0.

In round 1, Ben was left with a king, a 7 and a 4: 13 + 7 + 4 = 24. Dev held a queen, a 9 and a 4: 12 + 9 + 4 = 25. In round 2 Ben went out and Ana was caught with a jack. In round 3 Cleo went out and Dev melded everything on his last turn.

Ana leads with 24, and there are eight rounds to go.

Keep score in Tallynight

Five Crowns is set up for you: 11 rounds, lowest score wins. Type everyone's points for the round on one keypad, and the table keeps the totals, who's in front and who deals next.

With Tallynight Pro, the table also shows which card is wild in each round, so nobody has to count.

• Offers to end the game after round 11

• The wild card for every round, as you play (Pro)

• Tap any round to fix it

• Awards at the end, like Comeback Kid and Photo finish

• Get Tallynight on the App Store: free, no ads.

• Print a Five Crowns score sheet if you'd rather keep score on paper.

Questions

How many points are jokers in Five Crowns?

50 each, if they're still in your hand at the end of the round. Jokers are wild in every round.

What is wild in each round of Five Crowns?

The rank that matches the number of cards dealt: 3s in round 1, 4s in round 2, up to 10s in round 8, then jacks, queens and kings in rounds 9, 10 and 11. Jokers are always wild.

How many rounds are in Five Crowns?

11. The first round deals 3 cards each and the last deals 13.

How much is a wild card worth in Five Crowns?

20 points if it's left in your hand at the end of the round, whatever its rank. A joker is 50.

Does the player who goes out score zero in Five Crowns?

Yes. So does anyone who lays down their whole hand on their last turn. Everyone else scores the cards they couldn't meld.

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