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This article was reviewed by Ashton Wu and by wikiHow staff writer, Luke Smith, MFA. Ashton Wu is a Board Game expert at Shelfside. After delving into the Yugioh tournament community while growing up, Ashton launched himself into the board gaming community in 2014 and went into reviewing board games as a career full-time in 2019. His YouTube channel Shelfside has over 35K subscribers and over 4 million views, assisted by written reviews on the Shelfside website and BoardGameGeek.com. He also consults with gaming companies to build high-quality gaming products. Ashton is a tournament commentator, board game playthrough director, and host of the Shelfside Podcast, where he talks about board games with his business partner, Daniel. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in addition to the Technology Management Certificate.
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Ever play Solitaire and think, “I wish I could play this with other people?” Look no further than Kings Corners. In this 2-4 player game, players take turns placing cards in alternating colors, while racing to be the first player with no cards left in their hand. While name-brand versions of the game have their own special art and game pieces, you can play with nothing more than a standard 52-card playing deck. We’ll show you how to deal the cards and play the game, as well as show you some fun variations to keep the fun going.
Things You Should Know
- Deal 7 cards to each player, then place the deck face-down on the table. Turn 4 cards face-up around the deck.
- Draw a card, then place cards onto the 4 stacks in alternating colors and descending order. Play as many cards as you can.
- Merge stacks if the bottom card of 1 stack is the opposite color and 1 number lower than the top card of another stack.
- Win the game by being the first player to discard every card in your hand.
Steps
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![Step 1 Deal 7 cards to each player.]()
Deal 7 cards to each player. Shuffle the deck to mix up the cards, then deal 7 cards to each player at the table, starting with the player to the left of you and distributing cards clockwise. Then, place the deck face-down in the center of the table.[1]- If your deck of cards came with jokers, extra cards, or instruction cards, remove them from the deck so there are only the 52 standard cards.
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![Step 2 Place 4 cards face-up around the deck.]()
Place 4 cards face-up around the deck. Turn over the top 4 cards in the deck and lay them out in a cross pattern on the table, with 1 card facing each direction.[2] If any kings come up, move them to one of the corners (the open spaces between the 4 cards of the cross). Fill the space left by the king with a new card from the deck, face-up like the others.- The piles created by these 4 (non-king) cards are called the “foundation piles.”
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![Step 3 Pick up and sort your cards.]()
Pick up and sort your cards. In Kings Corners, players hold their cards in their hands, concealed from the other players. It’s generally a good idea to sort your cards by suit in ascending or descending order, with kings being high and aces low.[3]
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![Step 1 Draw the first card.]()
Draw the first card. The player to the dealer’s left takes the first turn. They draw a single card from off the top of the discard pile, then place it into their hand. Each turn will begin this way, by drawing 1 card.[4] -
![Step 2 Discard as many cards as you’re able.]()
Discard as many cards as you’re able. There are 2 ways a player can discard. First, if a player has a king, they place the king in an empty corner to start a “king’s corner.” Kings can only be played in the corners, but you don’t have to play a king immediately, if you have one. Second, a player may discard a card that’s the opposite color and 1 number lower than the top card of any pile, placing the discarded card on top.[5]- The sequence of cards in the game is K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A. Aces may only be played at the end of a sequence, and don’t begin a new sequence.
- For example, on a black king, you may only place a red queen. On a red five, you may only place a black four, and so on. Just like playing Solitaire!
- If the last (or only) card in a foundation pile is an ace, nothing can be played on this card; the pile can only be merged with another pile.
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![Step 3 Merge any piles, if you’re able.]()
Merge any piles, if you’re able. When it’s your turn, you may merge piles on the table if the bottom card of one pile is a different color and 1 value lower than the top card of another. Once a foundation pile has been moved, the player who moved it may fill the empty space with any card or card sequence from their hand.[6]- For example, you may merge a pile that begins with a black 6 onto another pile that has a red 7 as the top card.
- If you choose to move a pile, you must move the entire pile, not just some of the cards within the pile
- As an optional rule, gather and set aside any completed piles (piles that include all cards from king to ace) to make room for a new pile.
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![Step 4 End your turn once you can’t discard or merge any more piles.]()
End your turn once you can’t discard or merge any more piles. After you’ve made all your possible moves (or at least however many moves you want to play), end your turn. The next player to the left then draws a card, and discards or moves whatever piles they can.[7]- Always remember to pick up 1 card at the beginning of each turn.
- If a player cannot make any moves on their turn, the turn passes to the player on their left.
- When the center deck runs out, continue playing without drawing cards.[8]
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![Step 5 Play until 1 player discards all their cards.]()
Play until 1 player discards all their cards. The game ends as soon as a player discards the very last card, leaving their hand empty. That player is the winner! Time to shuffle the cards and play again.[9]
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![Step 1 Draw another card at the end of the hand.]()
Draw another card at the end of the hand. In some versions of the game, players only draw a card if they cannot play any cards from their hand. Also, players do not pick up a new card at the beginning of each turn. In other version, players draw a second card at the end of their turn, in addition to the card they drew at the start.[10] -
![Step 2 Play multiple rounds by tracking your points.]()
Play multiple rounds by tracking your points. To play a continuous game of multiple rounds, tally the number of cards you have in your hand. That number is your new score. For example, if you have 5 cards left in your hand when the round ends, write down 5 points. Play a few more rounds and compete to be the player with the lowest score.[11]- Also allot 10 points for every king left in a player’s hand.
- The game ends once a player reaches or exceeds a certain score, such as 25 or 50 points.
- When a player reaches or exceeds the given score, the player with the fewest points wins.
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![Step 3 Keep score with poker chips.]()
Keep score with poker chips. Distribute 80 poker chips (or any other sort of token) evenly among the players. At the start of the round, each player pays 1 chip into the center of the table, or the “pot.” Each time someone exhausts their hand and wins a round, they take the entire pot for themselves. The first player to hold 100 chips wins the game.[12]- If any player cannot discard any cards on their turn, that player pays another chip into the pot.
- Alternatively, play so that players have to pay a chip for each card left in their hand at the end of each round, similar to the point system (paying 10 chips for a king and 1 chip for every other card).
Community Q&A
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QuestionDo you have to play a king if you have one?
wikiHow Staff EditorThis answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Staff Answer
wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerYou don't have to play it if you don't want to, for example to block other players from discarding their own cards. -
QuestionCan one hold cards in his hand to block other players if it is to his best move to win?
wikiHow Staff EditorThis answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Staff Answer
wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerYes! You don't have to play any cards if you don't want to. Holding your cards to block other players is a valid strategy. -
QuestionCan you start a play with an ace?
wikiHow Staff EditorThis answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Staff Answer
wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerIf there's a place on the table for an ace, namely after a 2, you may start your turn by playing the ace.
Video
Tips
References
- ↑ https://bargames101.com/kings-in-the-corner/
- ↑ https://casinowithbonus.com/games/rules/kings-corner/
- ↑ https://www.jaxgames.com/kings-in-the-corner-game-instructions-instrucciones/
- ↑ https://cardgameinfo.com/kings-corner/
- ↑ https://groupgames101.com/kings-in-the-corner-rules/
- ↑ https://www.jaxgames.com/kings-in-the-corner-game-instructions-instrucciones/
- ↑ https://bargames101.com/kings-in-the-corner/
- ↑ https://www.pagat.com/domino/kingscorners.html
- ↑ https://bargames101.com/kings-in-the-corner/
About This Article
Kings Corners is a fun 2-4 player variation of Solitaire. To play, first deal 7 cards face down to each player one at a time. Place the remaining pile of cards in the middle of the table, and flip 4 cards face up around the pile in a cross shape. The player to the left of the dealer goes first. On a player’s turn, they start by drawing a card from the face-down pile in the center. Then, they have the opportunity to play cards from their hand on the face up cards on the table. To play a card on a face up card, it must be one rank lower and the opposite color. For example, a player could play a 3 of hearts on a 4 of spades. Kings must be played in one of the available corner spaces around the 4 initial face-up card piles. Once an ace is played on a pile, no more cards can be played on that pile. Players can also merge piles as long as the piles are in the right sequence. For example, a player could move a pile with a 6, 5, and 4 in it onto another pile with a 9, 8, and 7 in it as long as the 7 and 6 are opposite colors. Then they can play any card in the freed up space they created. Once the first player has discarded all of their playable cards, the player to their left goes next. Play continues clockwise around the table until one player runs out of cards first and wins the game! If you want to learn how to keep score or play with common variations, keep reading the article!
Reader Success Stories
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