Card Values at a Glance
Numbers 2–10
Face value — a lone 9♥ costs 9 points if unmelded at a rival's declaration.
Ace, King, Queen, Jack
10 points each — the reason early high-card discarding saves you money every deal.
Jokers (melded)
0 points if grouped into any meld; unmelded jokers still count 10.
Worked Example (Points Rummy)
Player B's hand when Player A declares with a valid layout:
- Unmelded: A♥ (10) + K♣ (10) + 9♦ (9) + 4♠ (4) = 33 points
- Player B also melds one set with a joker → that joker contributes 0
- Hand total 33 points — pay = 33 × table point value
If the same hand had been 80+ raw, the 80 cap applies. That's the ceiling that makes drop discipline rational.
Format Payout Models
- Points rummy: losers pay points × point-value; single-deal instant settlement.
- Pool rummy: penalties accumulate per deal until elimination at 101/201; survivor wins the pot — see pool rules.
- Deals rummy: winners harvest losers' chips; final chip leader takes the table prize.
Three Scoring Habits That Cut Losses
- Discard A/K/Q/J after turn 2–3 if they're stranded (strategy tip #2).
- Never let a joker sit unmelded at the end — 10 free points to the rival.
- Run the pre-declare checklist: a botched declare = 80 points, not 33.