One person creates a game and shares the 4-letter code or invite link. Everyone joins on their own phone — no download, guest or account.
02
Bowl & tap your frames
Bowl your real game and tap in each frame's pins as you go. The app keeps your bowling score and watches for strikes and spares.
03
Best poker hand wins
Strikes and spares deal you cards. When the game ends, your cards form a poker hand — the best hand takes the round.
Earning cards
Everyone in the room draws from one shared deck in real time. Every strike and spare deals cards into your hand — and because the deck is shared, once a card is drawn it's gone for the whole room. A hot streak on lane 3 really does change what's left for everyone else.
How many cards each mark is worth is up to the host (see house rules). By default a strike draws 2 cards, a spare draws 1, and stringing strikes together can earn bonus cards. If the deck runs dry, no more cards come out — so timing your big frames matters.
Who wins
At the end of each game, the app reads the best 5-card poker hand out of all the cards you collected. Standings rank by poker hand first — a Full House always beats Two Pair — and your bowling score breaks ties between equal hands. So you're playing two games at once: bowl well to win the tiebreaks, draw well to win outright.
A series is several games in a row (the host sets how many). Win the night by stacking up the most game wins across the series.
Hand rankings
Standard poker, best to worst:
1Straight flushfive in a row, all one suit
2Four of a kindfour matching ranks
3Full housethree of a kind + a pair
4Flushfive of the same suit
5Straightfive in a row, any suit
6Three of a kindthree matching ranks
7Two pairtwo separate pairs
8Pairtwo matching ranks
9High cardyour highest card, nothing made
House rules
The host sets these when creating a game, so every crew can tune the night to taste.
🎳
Cards per strike
How many cards you draw when you knock 'em all down. Default 2.
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Cards per spare
How many cards a spare is worth. Default 1.
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Bonus cards per double
Extra cards each time you string two strikes back-to-back (a double). Default 0.
✋
Hand limit
The most cards you can hold. Over the limit? Discard down. Default: unlimited.
🃏
Number of decks
More decks = more cards to go around (and possible duplicates). Default 2.
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Jokers
Adds 2 wild jokers per deck. A joker stands in for any card to complete your best hand. Off by default.
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Hide hands
Other bowlers' cards and top hand stay hidden in standings until each one finishes their 10th frame. Off by default.
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Games in series
How many games make a night. Leagues bowl 3 or more. Default 3.
FAQ
Is this gambling?
No. BonusFrame is for fun and bragging rights only — there are no wagers, no money, and no prizes of any kind. Paid plans unlock features, never an in-game advantage.
Do I need an account?
No — you can play as a guest. Making an account (Captain or above) saves your history and stats and syncs them across your devices.
Do I have to be good at bowling?
Not really. Your cards come from strikes and spares, but the winner is decided by your poker hand first — bowling score only breaks ties. A lucky draw can beat a clean game.
How many people can play?
Up to 6 on Free, 12 on Captain, and 100 on Director. Everyone joins the same room with a code or link.
What happens if the deck runs out?
Since the deck is shared, it can empty out. When it does, no more cards are dealt for the rest of that game — so big frames early can pay off. Hosts can add more decks to keep cards flowing.
What's a "series"?
A series is several games played back-to-back (the host picks how many, usually 3). Standings carry across all the games so the rivalry builds over the night.
Can I run a game without playing in it?
Yes — that's what Director is for. You can organize and run several rooms at once, with players bowling on their own phones while you keep things moving.
BonusFrame is for fun and bragging rights only. It is not gambling, involves no wagers, and awards no money or prizes.