How to score rummy (with calculator)
By The Atlas Carta teamUpdated on ✓ Rules checked in the app
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Two different counts: opening and penalties
This is the number one source of confusion. Opening points only tell you whether your first lay-down is strong enough (Rummy 51 and Rummy 71). Penalty points are what you take when an opponent goes out. The same card doesn’t always have the same value in both: an Ace is worth 1 or 10 for the opening but costs 11 as a penalty; a joker is worth the card it replaces in a Rummy 51 opening but costs 20 if it is left in your hand.
Card values for the opening
| Card | Points | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | Face value | Run (4♣ 5♣ 6♣) = 15 |
| Jack, Queen, King | 10 | Set (K♠ K♥ K♦) = 30 |
| Ace low in a run | 1 | Run (A♥ 2♥ 3♥) = 6 |
| Ace high in a run | 10 | Run (Q♦ K♦ A♦) = 30 |
| Ace in a set | 10 | Set (A♠ A♥ A♣) = 30 |
| Joker (Rummy 51) | The card it replaces | Run (6♦ joker 8♦) = 21 |
| Joker (Rummy 71) | Not counted toward the 71 | Laid on top, it raises the total to beat |
In Simple rummy these points don’t matter: you go out when your whole hand is arranged, with a run (3♣ 4♣ 5♣) and a set (6♠ 6♥ 6♣), whatever the total.
End-of-round penalties
| Situation | Penalty |
|---|---|
| A 2 to 10 in hand | Face value |
| A Jack, Queen or King in hand | 10 |
| An Ace in hand | 11 |
| A joker in hand | 20 |
| Player who laid nothing down (Rummy 51 and 71) | Flat 100, whatever the cards |
| Neither player of a team laid anything down (2 vs 2) | 200 |
| Simple rummy: each loser | A fixed 100, whatever the cards (200 for the team in 2 vs 2) |
Cards already on the table cost nothing: only the ones still in your hand count. In Simple it is the other way round: cards are never counted, each loser takes a fixed 100 points, even with only two small cards left.
Who pays?
Only the winner’s opponents pay. In 1 vs 1 it’s simple: the loser pays for their hand (a fixed 100 in Simple). In 2 vs 2 the two opponents add their penalties to their team’s score, and the winner’s partner pays nothing, even with plenty of cards left. So only one team takes penalties each round. In Simple, the losing team always takes 200 (100 per player).
End of the game: limits by variant and format
Penalties add up from round to round. In 2 vs 2 the team that reaches 600 points in Simple, 351 in Rummy 51 or 451 in Rummy 71 loses the game; in 1 vs 1 it’s the player who reaches 300 points in Simple or 251 in Rummy 51 and 71. There is no set number of rounds, and no tie is possible because only one side pays each time.
Rummy score calculator
Three tools in one: My opening (pick the variant and threshold, tap the cards of each meld, and the tool tells you whether the opening is valid), My penalty (tap the cards left in hand) and Score sheet (record each round’s penalties up to the limit for the variant and format, printable). The rules are those of the app’s engine: same valid melds, same values. Your score sheet stays saved in this browser.
3 worked rounds
1 vs 1 in Rummy 51
Sarah goes out. Karim opened earlier and still holds 5♣, J♥, A♠ and a joker: 5 + 10 + 11 + 20 = 46 penalty points. Had he laid nothing down, he would have paid 100.
5 of clubs
Jack of hearts
Ace of spades- JOKERJoker
2 vs 2 in Rummy 71
The North-South team goes out. In the East seat, a player who has opened still holds 3♦ and 9♠ (12 points); in the West seat, their partner has laid nothing down: 100. The East-West team takes 112 points. The winner’s partner pays nothing.
Simple rummy, a quick exit
In Simple, a player goes out on the sixth turn. Their opponent still holds 13 cards, including two Kings, a Queen, an Ace and a joker: in Rummy 51, those five cards alone would already cost 10 + 10 + 10 + 11 + 20 = 61 points. In Simple nothing is counted: they take 100 points, no more, no less. With only two small cards they would have taken 100 too. In 2 vs 2 their partner also takes 100: 200 for the team. That is why, in Simple, only speed counts.
Going further
Opening rules in detail: Rummy 51 and Rummy 71. The basics: the complete rummy rules. To take fewer points: our strategy tips.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the joker worth in rummy?
In a Rummy 51 opening, the value of the card it replaces. In Rummy 71 it does not count toward the 71 points. Left in hand at the end of a round, it costs 20 points in Rummy 51 and 71; in Simple the loser pays a fixed 100, joker or not.
What is the Ace worth in rummy?
For the opening: 1 point at the bottom of a run (A♥ 2♥ 3♥), 10 at the top of a run (Q♦ K♦ A♦) or in a set (A♠ A♥ A♣). As a penalty: 11 points (in Rummy 51 and 71).
What does it cost if you haven’t opened?
In Rummy 51 and 71, a player who has laid nothing down pays a flat 100 points, whatever their cards (200 if both players of a team are in that situation).
What does a lost round cost in Simple rummy?
A fixed 100 points per loser, whatever their cards: 100 in 1 vs 1, 200 for the team in 2 vs 2. The winner and their partner pay nothing.
How many points does a rummy game go to?
In the Atlas Carta app the game is lost by the team that reaches 600 points in Simple, 351 in Rummy 51 or 451 in Rummy 71 penalty points in 2 vs 2, or by the player who reaches 300 points in Simple or 251 in Rummy 51 and 71 in 1 vs 1.
Does the winner’s partner pay for their cards?
No. Only the opposing team pays: the hands of its two players are added together.
Does going rummy double the points?
No. In the app, laying everything down at once is allowed but does not double the penalties: the opponents pay the normal amounts.
Read also
Other games on Atlas
- ToutiTrick-taking and bidding card game (bids from 70 to 230) for 4 players in 2 teams, played with a 40-card Spanish deck; the first team to 600 points wins.
- RondaCapturing card game with a 40-card Spanish deck, for 2 players or 4 in teams of 2; the first side to 33 points wins.
- BeloteTrick-taking game with trumps and declarations, for 4 players in 2 teams of 2. Moroccan variant with 32 Spanish cards to 1,000 points, or French variant with 32 French-suited cards to 1,000 points.
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On iOS and Android, play all four games online and invite your friends to a private table.