Section 5: Scoring & Winning
Meld values
Meld belongs to the partnership whose players hold the cards. Each player scores only combinations actually present in that player's own hand; partners may not combine cards to create a meld.
| Meld | Required cards | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Run | A, 10, K, Q, J in trump | 15 |
| Trump marriage | K and Q of trump | 4 |
| Common marriage | K and Q of the same non-trump suit | 2 |
| Dix | 9 of trump | 1 |
| Aces around | One ace in each suit | 10 |
| Kings around | One king in each suit | 8 |
| Queens around | One queen in each suit | 6 |
| Jacks around | One jack in each suit | 4 |
| Pinochle | Q of spades and J of diamonds | 4 |
Multiple melds and card reuse
A card may count once in each different meld category. For example, the king and queen of trump in a run also count as a trump marriage, and the queen of spades in that run may also belong to queens around or pinochle. A single card may not stand for two copies within the same combination.
Separate physical copies can create repeated melds. Two matching marriages score twice their ordinary value. Two complete pinochles score 30 points rather than 8. Two complete around combinations score 100 for aces, 80 for kings, 60 for queens, or 40 for jacks. A double run containing two of every required trump rank scores 150 points and includes the two trump marriages; groups should decide before play whether those marriages are scored separately. Under this rulebook, they are included in the 150 and are not added again.
Trick points
After the final trick, each partnership counts the valuable cards it captured:
| Captured item | Value |
|---|---|
| Each ace | 1 point |
| Each ten | 1 point |
| Each king | 1 point |
| Each queen, jack, or nine | 0 points |
| Winning the final trick | 1 point |
There are 24 card points in the deck and one point for the last trick, so the two partnerships' combined trick score must total 25.
Making or failing the contract
Add each partnership's meld and trick points. If the declaring partnership's total equals or exceeds the contract, it scores its full meld and trick total. The defenders also score their full meld and trick total.
If the declaring partnership earns less than its bid, it is set. Subtract the amount of the contract from its running score and do not add any meld or trick points from that hand. The defending partnership still scores its meld and trick points normally. Running scores may fall below zero.
Minimum trick requirement
To make a contract, the declaring partnership must capture at least one trick. A team that takes no tricks is set even if its meld alone equals or exceeds the bid. The defending team must also capture at least one trick to record its meld; otherwise its score for the hand is zero.
Winning the game
The first partnership to reach at least 150 points at the end of a hand wins, but a partnership may claim victory only after making a contract. If the defenders pass 150 while the declarers also reach 150 and make their bid, the declaring partnership wins. If the declarers are set, a defending partnership that reaches 150 wins.