Rummy Scoring: Card Values and Penalties
In Rummy the points in your hand are a liability, not an asset. Everything you are still holding when someone goes out counts against you.
Card penalty values
| Card | Counts against you |
|---|---|
| Number cards 2–10 | Face value |
| Jack, Queen, King | 10 |
| Ace | 1 (low) or 11 (high in a run) |
| Joker | 20 to 25 depending on house rules |
What counts as a valid meld
- A set: three or four cards of the same rank in different suits.
- A run: three or more consecutive cards of the same suit.
- Most house rules require a first meld worth at least 51 points before you can lay anything down.
Going out and the bonus
Melding every card in one turn without having laid anything down before is "going rummy" and traditionally doubles the penalty everyone else takes. Playing to 100 with the lowest total winning keeps games short; playing to 500 rewards patient hands.
Frequently asked questions
Not in the same run. A-2-3 and Q-K-A are both valid, but K-A-2 wraps around and is not.
Under most rules yes, if you replace it with the exact card it stands for. That card then must be played immediately in the same turn.