Rummy scoring explained

This guide uses the scoring on our Rummy rules page: melds never score, and only cards left in opponents’ hands count.

Card values

Card	Points
Ace	1
2 through 10	Face value
Jack, Queen, King	10

Ending a hand

The hand ends as soon as a player goes out by discarding their last card. The winner scores the total value of every card left in the other players’ hands.

Worked example

Anna goes out. The other three players hold:

• Ben: K♦, 7♣, A♥ → 10 + 7 + 1 = 18
• Cy: 4♠, 4♦ → 8
• Dee: Q♥, J♣, 9♠ → 10 + 10 + 9 = 29

Anna scores 18 + 8 + 29 = 55 points.

Aces

Aces are low here. An ace is worth 1 point and can only appear in A-2-3, never after a king. If your table plays aces high, they usually score 15, and Q-K-A becomes a legal run.

Winning the game

Agree a target or a number of deals before the first hand. The player with the highest score at the end, or the first to the target, wins.

Variants that change the score

• Going rummy: a bonus for going out in one turn without melding or laying off first.
• Block rummy: the pile is not recycled. When the stock runs out, everyone scores their own cards, and the lowest total wins.
• Related games: Gin Rummy and Rummy 500 score differently. See our Gin Rummy rules for its own scoring.

Say which of these you use before the first deal.