How to Play Poker Squares

You place 25 cards, one at a time, into a 5×5 grid. When the grid is full, each of the 5 rows and 5 columns is treated as a five-card poker hand. Each hand earns points, and your score is the total of all ten hands. The aim is simply to score as many points as possible.

1. A standard 52-card deck is shuffled. Only the first 25 cards will be used, so 27 cards are never seen.
2. The top card is revealed. This is the only card you know about — you never see what is coming next.
3. You place that card in any empty cell of the grid. There is no requirement to place cards next to each other.
4. Once a card is placed it is locked in. Cards can never be moved or swapped.
5. The next card is revealed and the process repeats until all 25 cells are filled.
6. All ten lines are scored and added up for your final score.

Because every cell sits in exactly one row and one column, each card contributes to two hands. That double role is what makes the game interesting: the best spot for a card in its row may be the worst spot for its column.

PokerSolo uses the American Poker Squares scoring system, in which hands rank in the same order as in regular poker. (The alternative English system re-orders hands by how hard they are to make on a grid — for example, it values a straight above a flush.)

A line with no pair or better scores 0. Aces count high (A-K-Q-J-10) or low (5-4-3-2-A) in straights. Each line scores only its single best hand — a full house is not also counted as three of a kind.

Follow the first row: placing the four sevens together earns 50 points. The spade, heart and diamond columns also finish as flushes, earning 20 each. The fourth column takes a heart among clubs so the second row can finish as a full house. Giving up that flush preserves a 25-point row.

This is an illustrative finished grid, not a promise that every deal can reach 212. Cards arrive one at a time and you cannot rearrange them: before placing 2♥ in column four, weigh the possible full house against keeping that column all clubs. The final choice depends on the cards already placed and the remaining empty cells.

• Use one direction for suits and the other for ranks. A popular plan is to collect suits in columns (for flushes) and matching ranks in rows (for pairs, full houses and four of a kind).
• Keep a spare line for bad cards. Cards that fit nowhere can go to a "discard" row or column so they do not spoil your good hands.
• Do not fill lines too early. An empty cell is flexibility. Spread your early cards so you have options later.
• Remember only 25 of 52 cards appear. On average you will see a little over six cards of each suit and about two of each rank.

For a deeper look, read the Poker Squares strategy guide.

• Demo: two free games with no account needed — the fastest way to learn.
• Practice games: your first games after signing up are free and are used to calibrate your personal odds.
• Target games: choose a target score and wager virtual coins on reaching it. Higher targets pay more.
• Daily Challenge: one attempt per day on the same deck as every other player, with a global daily leaderboard.
• Multiplayer: play the same card sequence as your friends and compare grids.

Ready? Play a free demo game now.