Basic Rules for Five Crowns

This game requires a special deck because it is a special game. It has five suits. The new additional suit is called
Stars. Each game comes with two decks. Each deck has 58 cards. Within each suit, which the manufacturer
sometimes calls "families" there are 11 instead of the 13 cards contained in the standard suit. The ace and the
deuce are left out. This means that each suit will have 3 - King. There are also 3 jokers per deck, six in all.
The object of this game is to have the fewest number of points after playing 11 hands. Each hand has a
progressive increase in the number of cards dealt out. The first hand has three cards. The second has four cards,
and so on up to 13 cards for each player on the eleventh hand. Upon each deal the number of cards dealt also
indicates the wild card. For example, on the first hand, the three is considered wild because three cards were
dealt to each player. This card is wild, in addition to the cards already designated as wild.
When the appropriate number of cards are dealt out, the dealer puts the remaining cards in the middle of the
table and flips over another card. Play then proceeds to the left of the dealer. The player can either draw a card
from the pile or the top card from the discard pile. He must discard at the end of his turn. Each player attempts
to create a hand that is completely comprised of "runs" or "books" with one card left over to discard.
A run is basically three or more cards of the same suit all in a row. A book is three or more cards in a row all
with the same number or letter designation (i.e. J,J,J). Within these runs and books any number of cards can be
wild cards, and the wild cards can take the place of any card. For example, a book could be made up of
Jack,Wild,Wild. When a player succeeds in creating such a hand, he lays it out on the table. Every player then
has one turn to make the best hand he or she can, then laying down all books and runs. Whatever cards remain
in the hands of the players are counted as points and written on a piece of paper and tallied as the game
progresses. Points are scored according to the face value of the cards, Jack = 11, Queen = 12, King = 13. Wild
cards are equal to twenty points (including the numbered wild card designated for that turn).
When all 11 hands are played the player with the lowest score is the victor.

RUSSIAN RUMMY

Here Is How You Play:

Seven Hand Rummy is best played with 4 decks of cards (with Jokers) for up to 8 players. If you have more
players, add a deck. For 10 or more players, add another deck and so on.
The object of the game is to get rid of all your cards and accumulate as few points as possible. Points are
acquired for any cards held in the hand when someone goes out. 5 points for card 2 through 7, 10 points for card
8 through the King, 15 points for an Ace (which can be played as a one or a top card above a king) and 20
points for jokers.
Deal out 11 cards to each player. Put a stack to draw from in the center and when everyone is ready, turn one
card over to start the discard pile.
The player to the left of the dealer goes first and can either take the discard or take the card off the top of the
stack. If someone else wants the card on the discard they can say , "I want it". If the person who's turn it is does
NOT want the discard, they say so and the first person that said , "I want it" gets to take the card AND a penalty
card from the stack. It is not acceptable for someone to say, "I want it" for a card already under a discard. Play
continues around to the left as each person tries to acquire the appropriate hand.

Hands To Be Acquired:
1st Hand: 2 sets (333, 555, JJJ, etc.)
2nd Hand: 1 set and 1 run (333, 555, JJJ AND 4 5 6 of Hearts, 9 10 Jack of Spades, etc.)
3rd Hand: 2 runs (note: it is acceptable for someone to take a run and split it to make two runs i.e. 3 4 5 of
Hearts and 6 7 8 of Hearts)
4th Hand: 2 sets and 1 run
5th Hand: 2 runs and 1 set
6th Hand: 3 sets pat (3 sets with NO discard)
7th Hand: 3 runs pat (3 runs with no discard)
Optional 8th Hand: One run pat - an accumulation of 1 suit from Ace to Jack or 4 to Ace (note - with this hand
you can only say "I want it" ONE time, because you can not have a discard. You can not have an Ace on each
end of your run.)
As the needed hand is acquired, the goal for the hand is placed down in front of the player on their turn. After
they have laid their cards down, they may play any cards in their hand on other players cards. So if a player
across the table had put down a set of 5's and a run of clubs 5 6 Joker 8 and I had a 5 or a club that would fit
their run, I would toss them across the table. If I gave the player the 7 of clubs to replace the Joker I may put
that Joker anywhere else on the table. I CAN NOT put the Joker in my hand.

At any time a player discards a card that would play on the table they call out RUMMY! After pointing out
where the card would have played they get to discard any card from there hand. The "rummy" card remains on
the discard pile.
If the discard pile gets too big, you can take a couple cards off the top and set the lower part of the discard pile
aside (just don't forget they were already in play and put them back out as part of the stack).
If at any time the stack gets low, you may take the remaining stack and place it on some of the cards that were
shuffled and put on the side to replenish the stack. Note the original stack goes on top of the new stack. If the
stack gets depleted and there are no cards left over from shuffling, take the discards that were put on the side
and shuffle them to restore the stack.
A discard is not required for someone to go out, their last card can be played on another player.
Notes For Helping First Time Players:

When playing a hand requiring sets put the cards in your hand in numbered order: for example 3,
5, 5, 5, 8, 10, J, J, Q, K, A (of course the Ace can be at the beginning or the end). Remember suit
doesn't matter.

When playing a hand requiring runs, order the cards from lowest to highest in their appropriate
suit. It will be easier to read your hand if you keep hearts and diamonds separated by clubs or
spades and vice versa. It is easy to mistake a cards suit when paying attention to the game and
trying to make runs.

When people start putting down their hands, if you have a card that would play on them either put
it safely to the side in your hand or put the card face down on the table in front of you so you don't
play it by accident and make a rummy.

Once you have played your cards down and played what you have to put on other players, discard
your high point cards first. That would be Aces, then 8s and higher, leaving you with 5 point cards
if someone goes out.

Just because someone hasn't put down doesn't mean they can't go out. Many a game some one has
needed one card to complete a run or a set and once they have that card (either draw it or have it
discarded to them), they put down their cards and all the remaining cards in their hand plays on
other players.

Most importantly, HAVE FUN! It is a special time when everyone in a family can sit down and do
something besides eat.