10 Easy Tips To Make A Five Crowns Winning Strategy

Five Crowns is a great rummy-base game and fun to play whether you win or lose. 

But let’s be real; you want to win, right? 

As someone with a lot of experience in rummy games, I picked up on Five Crowns pretty easily and won almost every time by following these tips. 

I’m not going to share this with the people, but I will share this Five Crowns winning strategy with you! 

Let’s deal the cards! 

#1 Watch Those Wild Cards

Every round changes the hand wilds. 

The first round, the 3s are wild, then the 4s, and so on. 

It’s obvious, and it’s one of the mechanics that makes this game unique from other Rummy ones. 

But, you’d be shocked at how many times people will discard one of those special wilds because they forgot what round they were on. 

The start of a good winning strategy is to eliminate mistakes, especially big ones like this. 

Always keep an eye out, and if you can pick up a wild, DO IT!

If you can’t pick it up, then stay quiet. Maybe the person who’s next will forget too! 

#2 Watch For Sets Over Runs For Faster Matches

Sets are groups of three or more cards of the same rank or value. 

Runs are groups of three or more cards in consecutive order in the same suit. 

In normal Rummy, they have more potential for matches because they can keep building. 

But in Five Crowns, this isn’t true. 

There are two decks of five suits in this game. 

In typical rummy, you only have four cards total that can match the set. 

So if you’re sitting on two 5s, you’ll be waiting for one of those remaining two to make a match or book as they call it in this game. 

But in 5 Crowns, you have 10 cards to pull from on top of all the wilds! 

This improves your odds dramatically! 

For runs, say if you have a 4 and 5 of spades, you’ll still be waiting on the 6 or 3 of spades. There are only two of these each, so four in total. 

I don’t know about you, but 8 missing cards for a set sounds better than 4 missing cards of a run. 

#3 Keep Nearby But Disconnected Run Cards

In somewhat contrast of my last point, though, keep nearby cards in a Run in your hand. 

An example would be to hold onto the 5 and Jack of spades if you already have a 7-8-9 of spades run. 

Why? You can use a wild to connect to the run and add on two cards or more! 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve connected cards quickly with a wild card in a run, and it helped me go out or lower my score to almost nothing. 

#4 Watch The Discard

As with other Rummy games, watching the discard pile is critical. 

While wilds, five suits, and two decks make it less likely that you’ll end up with a group of two that can’t be completed, the odds may be lower. 

For example, if you’re waiting for one of two cards for a run and you see the player across from dumping a bunch of them, it may be time to switch strategy. 

It can be a lot to watch and track all of the discards, but with practice, you’ll learn to keep your finger on the pulse of the odds for a given book and adjust as needed. 

#5 Not All Cards Are Created Equal

A small mistake that adds up quickly comes with forgetting that not all face cards count the same against you. 

In Five Crowns, Kings are worth 13, Queens are 12, and Jacks are 11. 

If you’re getting down to the end or someone has gone out, don’t just throw any face card down to lower your count. 

A point or two here or there can add up and make all the difference in the world. 

#6 Replace Wilds When Possible

Early on in each hand, you’ll probably use a wild card to complete a set or a run. 

As you play, watch for the card your wild is replacing. 

Pick it up or keep it when you draw and use your wild somewhere else. 

This may seem really obvious, but a lot of people subconsciously “write off” the card they’re using the wild for. 

They may discard it or pass it without even registering what it is. 

Here’s an example: 

Say you have a 7 of spades – Joker – 9 of spades. 

Then, the person ahead of you discards the 8 of spades. 

Do you need it? I guess not, but you should pick it up! 

Then, you can use the wild somewhere, maybe to complete another set or run or even just add on to this one. 

Anyway will get you closer to melding or going out.

It’s always in your best interest to go out as soon as possible.  

#7 Don’t Get Discouraged

Five Crowns has a saying: 

“It isn’t over ‘til the Kings go wild!”

It definitely holds true.

You’ll never be so far behind the leader that you couldn’t win. 

In the last round, anyone can gain a massive number of points and lose. 

There are 13 rounds of this game. If you have a bad hand, shake it off, focus up, and come back strong the next one. 

#8 Understand Your Wilds

Little strategy errors happen when you think you know how wilds work in this game, but you’re wrong. 

Wilds can go anywhere and replace any card. 

Three wilds can even make a book all on their own (though this isn’t a good use of them). 

Two wilds and a single normal card can make a run or set, it’s your choice! 

Once you mentally connect a wild with a set, it’s not locked in; feel free to adjust it to lower your count at the end or make more cards match. 

Wild cards can be picked up from the discard; they don’t make the discard dead for that round. 

I call this out because there are a number of games where the opposite is true. Make sure you know these special uses of wild cards, and don’t miss out on a chance to stick your opponents with some high cards. 

#9 Watch What Your Follow Picks Up

This is a multiplayer card game, and the more people you have, the less valuable this tip is. 

If the player who follows you picks up a card from the discard pile you’ve thrown, they want it. 

Think about what cards go with that one, and avoid tossing them if possible. 

You don’t want to give them exactly what they need to go out and stick you with leftover cards. 

#10 Sit After The New Players

This tip works amazingly, but it’s a little in the grey area. 

Find out who is a new player or someone you know who doesn’t play too well and sit after them. 

For one, they won’t worry about what you pick up, so you’ll be able to keep getting cards you need. 

For another, they may make a mistake and throw some wilds. 

If you’re nice, you can correct them and allow them to take it back. 

But if you’re cutthroat, you’ll get some free wilds! 

Some people may notice this strategy of yours and judge you for it, so know your audience. 

We play cards with several different groups of friends and family. With some, I never pull stuff like this, but with others, I know we’re competitive enough that a strat like this is just a part of the game. 

Read more: How to play Five Crowns with regular cards