Thad: Closest I can find is wikipedia, which says white goes first. Don't think wikipedia is official though. The original Pente game shipped with 4 different colors.

Found a few links on Go-moku and Go, which all have Black going first in those games.

I don't think there's an official rule for Pente. I'd say follow Go, Black first.

shagglbrox: Found this too, at the Renju Federation site, discussing Renju variations:

http://renju.nu/r1rulhis2.htm
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G. White starts the game (which differs from Renju and Go)
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Also found a proposal from 1987 for International Pente rules that specified White goes first, but there really is no official body that I can tell.

Thad: Most pente boards are played with multi-colored glass beads called stones. Of the stones I've seen, the closest that would approximate opaque white is actually clear. But the first player is referred to as "white" by definition, so that if we are going to have white and black pieces on this site, it makes more sense for P1 to play the white pieces.

We ******* ruled that tourney! Good job all!

Snut: it was impressive - thats for sure....

too bad it wasnt a perfect score....

redfrog: Next time it will be!!

Thad: next team tourny? OR TEAM CHALLENGE? PLENTE O' PENTE is ALWAYS accepting.....

redfrog: I meant team tourney, but if Plente o' Pente wants a bunch of losses, I say bring it. ;-)

Thad: That would mean that you would have to learn how to sweep me ....& I have not seen that happen yet .... of course there is always a 1st time for everything ....

I just might win a set .....HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Fstop: Thad, I'm playing fstop a set right now, and though it's early in both games, I can already predict he will be swept....For smack talking my team mate!!!! Hell yeah!

Snut: LOL Figures! You are on the wrong team Snutter!!!!

cosmicdom: Hey hey....It's never wrong to be on the winning team! haha.

Thad: LOL gotta love an arrogant pente male! We should bring it for sure!

Thad: looks like you dont have enough players to bring it!!!

redfrog: Bring it, then let us worry about that.

Thad: Well said buddy!