Hand and Foot scoring determines winners and shapes strategy. Understanding exactly how points are awarded helps you make better decisions throughout the game.

Card Point Values

Every card in Hand and Foot has a point value that counts both for you (when melded) and against you (when stuck in your hand at round’s end).

Card Point Value Notes
Jokers 50 Wild card — most valuable
Twos (2s) 20 Wild card
Aces 20 Highest natural card
K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8 10 Standard high cards
7, 6, 5, 4 5 Low natural cards
Black 3s (♣, ♠) 5 Cannot be melded — blockers
Red 3s (♥, ♦) -500 Penalty card — cannot be melded

Red Three Penalty

Red threes are the most dangerous cards in the game:

  • Cannot be melded under any circumstances
  • If caught in your hand or foot at round’s end: -500 points each
  • With 5 decks, there are 10 red threes in the game
  • Discard red threes immediately whenever you draw them

Book Bonuses

The big points come from completing books (7-card melds):

Book Type Bonus Card Points Total Example
Clean book (all natural) +500 + face value of 7 cards 500 + 70 = 570 (seven 10s)
Dirty book (has wilds) +300 + face value of 7 cards 300 + 55 (five 9s + two 2s) = 355

Cards Beyond 7

You can add cards to a completed book beyond 7. Each additional card earns its face value, but the book’s base bonus (500 or 300) doesn’t change. A clean book stays clean forever — adding a wild card to a completed book is not allowed.

Going Out Bonus

Achievement Points
Going out +100

The going-out bonus itself is modest, but going out forces opponents to count all their remaining cards as negative points, which can swing hundreds of points.

Score Calculation Example

Round-end scoring for Team A:

Item Points
2 Clean books (Kings, 8s) +1,000
1 Dirty book (5s with 2 wilds) +300
Melded card points (all melds combined) +340
Going out bonus +100
Cards left in Player 1’s hand 0 (went out)
Cards left in Player 2’s hand -45 (3 cards)
Round total +1,695

Round-end scoring for Team B:

Item Points
1 Clean book (9s) +500
2 Dirty books (Queens, 7s) +600
Melded card points +280
Going out bonus 0 (didn’t go out)
Cards left in Player 1’s hand/foot -85
Cards left in Player 2’s hand/foot -110
1 Red three in Player 2’s hand -500
Round total +685

Notice how a single red three devastated Team B’s round.

Initial Meld Requirements

Your team’s first meld of each round must meet a minimum point threshold:

Team’s Running Score Minimum Initial Meld
Negative (below 0) 15 points
0 to 1,499 50 points
1,500 to 2,999 90 points
3,000 to 4,999 120 points
5,000+ 150 points

How to count initial meld points:

  • Add face values of all cards in your first meld(s) played on a single turn
  • Wild cards count their face value (Joker = 50, Two = 20)
  • Example: Three Aces = 60 points (meets the 50 threshold)
  • Example: Two Kings + one Joker = 70 points (meets the 50 threshold)

After your team’s initial meld, all subsequent melds have no minimum requirement.

Target Score and Game Length

Format Target Score Typical Rounds
Standard game 5,000 3-5 rounds
Extended game 7,500 5-7 rounds
Marathon game 10,000 7-10 rounds

The game ends at the conclusion of the round in which a team exceeds the target. If both teams exceed the target in the same round, the higher score wins.

Scoring Tips

  1. Clean books are king — A clean book (500) is worth nearly twice a dirty book (300). Always try to complete at least 2 clean books per round.
  2. Don’t get stuck with high-value cards — Aces (20), wilds (20-50) hurt the most when unmelded. Meld them or use them, don’t hoard.
  3. Red threes are emergencies — Discard them the moment you draw them. -500 is catastrophic.
  4. Going out timing matters — Sometimes waiting one turn to complete an extra book (+300-500) is better than going out immediately (+100).
  5. Count opponent cards — If opponents have lots of cards in hand, going out inflicts maximum damage.

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