Rules for Pentathlon

Pentathlon is an entertaining and varied card game that combines five different games into one! The game is suitable for 3-5 players (best with 4) and typically takes 30-45 minutes. You need a standard 52-card deck (without jokers) and something to keep score with.

The goal is to have the fewest points after all five rounds. Each round has its own rules and challenges, making the game both exciting and unpredictable!

All 52 cards are dealt to the players. It's important that all players have the same number of cards in all rounds except the fourth round (Fan Tan). If the cards don't divide evenly, remove one or two red twos.

Examples:

• 3 players: Remove one red two (51 cards ÷ 3 = 17 cards each)
• 4 players: Use the entire deck (52 cards ÷ 4 = 13 cards each)
• 5 players: Remove two red twos (50 cards ÷ 5 = 10 cards each)

In the fourth round (Fan Tan), use the entire deck, and it doesn't matter if some players get one more card than others.

Card values vary between rounds:

• Rounds 1, 2, 3, and 5: Ace is highest, then K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2
• Round 4 (Fan Tan): King is highest, then Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-A (ace is lowest)

It's crucial to remember which value the ace has in each round, as this is often decisive for gameplay!

In the first round, the goal is to take as few tricks as possible, preferably none!

How to play:

• The player to the left of the dealer leads with any card
• Other players must follow suit if they can
• If you can't follow suit, you may discard any card (but won't win the trick)
• The highest card of the led suit wins the trick
• The trick winner leads the next card

Scoring: Each trick gives 1 point (bad!)

The second round is played like the first, but now it's clubs that score points.

How to play:

• Same rules as round 1
• Try to avoid tricks containing ♣️
• Try to discard clubs when others have led a different suit

Scoring: Each ♣️ in your tricks gives 1 point

Tip: Count the clubs as you go to keep track!

In the third round, you must avoid the four queens - they're toxic for your score!

How to play:

• Same trick-taking rules as before
• Be especially careful when high cards are played
• Try to "dump" queens on others' tricks

Scoring: Each queen gives 4 points (16 points total in play)

The fourth round is completely different - Fan Tan is played!

How to play:

• The player with ♥️7 starts by playing it
• Next player can: play ♥️6 or ♥️8 (building on the sequence), play a new 7, or pass
• Build sequences from 7 outward: ...4-5-6-7-8-9-10...
• The goal is to get rid of all your cards first
• Remember: Ace is lowest in this round!

Scoring:

• Each "pass" gives 1 point
• Each card in hand when someone goes out gives 1 point
• The player who goes out first gets 0 points

In the final round, everything reverses - now you WANT to take tricks!

How to play:

• Same trick-taking rules as rounds 1-3
• Try to take as many tricks as possible
• Use your high cards wisely

Scoring: Each trick gives -1 point (good!)

This is your chance to recover points from earlier rounds!

After each round, record the scores:

• Round 1: Number of tricks × 1 point
• Round 2: Number of ♣️ × 1 point
• Round 3: Number of queens × 4 points
• Round 4: Number of passes + cards in hand
• Round 5: Number of tricks × -1 point

Add up all points - the player with the lowest total wins!

Example: Anna: 3+5+8+7-4 = 19 points, Bob: 5+2+4+9-6 = 14 points - Bob wins!

Here are some good tips for succeeding at Pentathlon:

• General: Keep track of which cards have been played
• Rounds 1-3: Get rid of high cards early when you can
• Round 2: If you must take a trick, try to take one without ♣️
• Round 3: Be extra careful when high cards are played in the queens' suits
• Round 4: Start with 7s if you have them, otherwise cards near 7
• Round 5: Save your aces for the end of the round

There are several fun variations of Pentathlon:

• Alternative scoring: Some play with each queen worth 5 points instead of 4
• Six-Round Game: Add an extra round for more variety
• Seven-Round Game: The ultimate challenge with seven different rounds!
• Trump variant: Some play round 5 with a trump suit (e.g., ♠️ as trump)
• Double points: Last round gives -2 points per trick for more excitement

Try different variations to find your favorite!