Place Fives

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Place Fives or "Placies" is a Coin Strategy Game often played in pubs or bars. The game is played between two or more players and the overall winner is the first to reach five roundies. Winning a round earns the player one roundy. It is suitable as a pub game due to its simplicity and requiring nothing more than loose change and a playing surface.

Coins are emptied from each player's pockets onto the playing table and each player than takes turns picking one coin at a time until the coins have all been divided up. It is preferable for players to have an equal number of coins each. The player who picked the first coin will place down one of their coins to begin the round.

Points are scored by placing coins to touch as many other coins as possible on the table. Coins may be stacked upon coins of a greater value and must remain flat. For example a coin may not be balanced on top of two coins of differing heights or be sloped up against another coin. Coins that have already been placed may not be moved. After all the coins are placed the player with the highest score wins the round and earns one roundy. For a draw the round is replayed.

Because of the basic nature of the game the focus tends to shift onto trying to force an error from your opponent. It is important to note when playing with British Coinage, as the game was intended to be played, that coins of the same metal are always the same height. Also, because of their small size and low value five and one pence coins are the most desirable when picking coins at the start of a round.