Poker Pentad is a card game based on Poker Squares and Poker Solitaire, but with some differences. This version is for two to four players playing against each other, or for one player as a solitaire game.

The basic idea of Poker Pentad is that 25 cards from a standard 52-card pack are selected at random, one at a time, and you must place that card on one of the empty squares on the board.   The objective is to place the cards so that they form poker hands - either in rows (horizontally) or columns (vertically).  The skill comes in how you use these cards to form the hands and to maximize the points scored.

After the initial phase of placing the cards on the board as the cards are selected, you then have an opportunity to make some minor adjustments to the layout of the board.  You can select two pairs of cards, in turn, and swap the two cards in the pair.   This phase not only provides you with an opportunity to increase your score - it also gives you something else to consider and to optimize during the initial positioning phase.

Scoring

Poker Pentad scoring is based on the poker hands formed:

Poker HandPoints
Straight flush (SF)30
Four of a kind (4)16
Straight (S)12
Full house (FH)10
Three of a kind (3)6
Flush (F)5
Two pairs (2P)3
One pair (1P)1

The scoring system is also shown beneath the main board, using the abbreviations shown in brackets above.

In addition, the scores for the hands on the middle row (row 3) and middle column (column 3) - those crossing the central square with the greenspot - are doubled.

For those not familiar with poker hands, the meanings of the hands are as follows:

  • Flush: All five cards are of the same suit (i.e. all hearts, all clubs, all diamonds or all spades).
  • Straight: Five cards that form a sequence based on the normal card ranking order: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K. So, a hand containing a 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 - regardless of suit - forms a straight. The ace can also count as high, so that a hand containing the ranks 10, J, Q, K and A is also a valid straight.
    Note that a straight cannot pass through the ace, so that J, Q, K, A, 2 is not a valid straight.
  • Straight flush: Five cards that form a straight and are also of the same suit.
  • Four of a kind: A hand in which four cards have an identical rank, e.g. four 7s, four Ks or four As.
  • Three of a kind: A hand in which three cards have an identical rank, e.g. three 7s, three Ks or three As.
  • One pair: A hand in which just two cards have an identical rank, e.g. two 7s, two Ks or two As.
  • Two pairs: A hand in which two cards have one identical rank and another two cards have a different identical rank, e.g. two 7s and two 3s, two Ks and two 9s, or two As and two 6s.
  • Full house: A hand in which three cards have one identical rank, while another two cards have a different identical rank, e.g. three 7s and two 3s, two Ks and three 9s, or three As and two 6s.

Note that the order of cards in the hand is unimportant, so the cards with ranks 6, 3, 5, 4, 7 form a valid straight, while the cards with ranks 7, 3, 3, 7, 3 form a valid full house.

Playing the game

The 1 - 4 players choose one of the four colours - red, yellow, green or blue - to be their colour. At the top of the screen, there are four boxes, or tabs, one for each of these colours. These display the progress or total score for each player, so that all players can see all scores, even though only one board is visible at a time.

Poker Pentad has been designed so that you do not need to specify how many players there are. Initally, red's board is shown, so if one player only is playing, the red board would normally be used. To select and see another player's board, simply press on that player's coloured tab. Note: the coloured tab takes on a deeper shade of the colour when selected.

When the game first opens, or after a new game is started by pressing the New button, boards are cleared, each player's score is set to 0, each player's tab shows +0 (0 cards added and positioned), and a series of 25 cards is set up. The first of these is shown beneath each of the four 5x5 boards.

The following instructions are for one player of the game. After these, some options for how two or more players might play are given.

Positioning phase

During this phase, the player must position the card shown beneath the 5x5 board on an unoccupied square by pressing on that square. The card will then be displayed in this position. The next card in the series will then be displayed beneath the board ready for positioning. This continues until all 25 cards have been positioned by the player.

The player's tab displays a '+' followed by the number of cards already added and positioned.

Swapping phase

Once all 25 cards have been positioned on the board in this way, the swapping phase takes place, in which the player may swap the positions of two pairs of cards.  This phase starts off with the 'swap' icon

being displayed under the board.  The player must then press on 4 squares (2 pairs of squares) on their board.  The cards on the first pair pressed will be swapped over, and then the cards on the second pair will be swapped over. (Note: once the first square of a pair has been pressed, the card on that square is placed underneath the board, and the 'swap' icon is displayed on the square). 

The player's tab displays an 'S' followed by the number of cards already selected for swapping (1-4).

Q. I'm so happy with my layouts that I don't want to swap the cards over on two pairs.  How do I achieve this?

A. To avoid swapping over two cards, just press any square once, then press it again.  It will just be swapped with itself.

After placing a card or selecting a card for swapping, a < button is displayed. This can be used to undo the last placement or selection if the wrong square has accidentally been pressed.

Scoring

Once the last card has been placed, two 'Scores' buttons are displayed. Pressing either of these displays the scores for the rows and columns, together with the total for the player (in the coloured tab at the top).

Two or more players

Each player can play totally independently of the other players, although, importantly, each player makes use of the same series of 25 cards, so the competition is a fair test of skill - of how these cards are used in the positioning and swapping phases.

Because of the independent nature of play, the players may decide between them exactly how they should play. Some options to consider are:

  • The players take turns to place individual cards and to swap pairs.
  • The players take turns to place 5 cards and then take turns to swap pairs.
  • One player completes the game then passes over to the next player, and so on.

When first beginning the game, positioning of the cards should be hidden from the other players. Pressing the Hide button hides all boards. However, once more than about 10 have been positioned, it probably makes little difference whether other boards are kept hidden or not, as the states of the board are likely to be very different.

The game is over when all players have scored their boards. The winner is, of course, the player with the highest score.

New game

A new game may be started at any time by pressing on the New button.

Poker Pentad is an original game devised by Dr. David Wolstenholme

Terms of use

This software may be used for personal purposes only.  It may not be used for commercial purposes.

The software, code and script of this application may not be copied or be distributed to others.

The software, code and script may not be altered in any way.

Copyright of the software, code and script, and its help documentation, is held by TopAccolades Limited.  No part of the software, code, script or documentation may be copied or used in another application or document.

Although every effort has been made to ensure that this software functions as intended, TopAccolades Limited provides no warranty of merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose, in relation to this application or its support.

TopAccolades Limited shall not be liable for any damages whatsoever arising out of the use of or inability to use this application or the provision of or failure to provide support.

Copyright TopAccolades Limited
www.topaccolades.com

Version: 3.0 (20170327)
Scale: