How many cards are in a hand and a foot?

In the common US version from Bicycle, each player gets 11 cards for the hand and 11 for the foot. Many groups deal 13 of each instead, which pagat.com lists as standard. Whatever you pick, the hand is played first and the foot stays face down until the hand is used up.

How many decks do you need for Hand and Foot?

Use 5 or 6 standard decks with the jokers left in for four players. One version on pagat.com uses one more deck than the number of players. Shuffle them together in several stacks, since that many cards are hard to shuffle at once.

What is a clean book vs a dirty book?

A book is a meld of exactly 7 cards of the same rank. A clean book has no wild cards and is worth 500 points. A dirty book includes at least one 2 or joker and is worth 300. Mark clean books with a red card on top and dirty books with a black card.

What do you need to go out in Hand and Foot?

Your team needs at least one clean book and one dirty book, and you must have played through your hand and picked up your foot. Then you go out by melding or discarding your last card, earning 100 points. Many families require two clean and two dirty books instead.

What are the meld minimums for each round?

Your team's first meld of each round must be worth at least 50 points in round 1, 90 in round 2, 120 in round 3, and 150 in round 4. Count card values: jokers 50, aces and 2s 20, kings through 8s 10, and 7s through 4s 5.

What do red 3s and black 3s do?

Red 3s are bonus cards: lay one face up as soon as you get it and draw a replacement. Each red 3 on the table is worth +100, but one left in your hand or foot at round end costs 100. Black 3s are worth 5 and are mainly used as discards to block the next player from picking up the pile.

Can you pick up the discard pile in Hand and Foot?

Yes, if you hold two natural cards matching the top discard. You meld those three cards right away and take the top seven cards of the pile, per Bicycle and pagat.com. Many home games let you take the whole pile. You can never pick up the pile when a black 3 is on top.

Hand and Foot Rules: How to Play and Score

1Object of the game

Score the most points over four rounds. Your team scores for completed books, for the value of every card it melded, for red 3s, and for going out. Cards still in your hand or foot when someone goes out count against you, so you want to empty both piles quickly while building as many books as possible.

2Setup

Seat partners across from each other. Shuffle 5 or 6 decks together, jokers included. Six decks is common for four players.
Each player takes an 11-card hand and an 11-card foot. The foot stays face down and untouched until you have played every card in your hand. Many groups have each player count off their own piles from a rough-cut chunk of the deck to save time.
Put the rest of the cards face down in the middle as the stock and turn the top card face up to start the discard pile.
Set the minimum first meld for the round: 50 points in round 1, 90 in round 2, 120 in round 3, and 150 in round 4.
If you pick up a red 3 at any point, lay it face up in front of your team right away and draw a replacement card.

3The play

Draw 2 cards from the stock. Alternatively, take the top seven cards of the discard pile if you hold two natural cards matching the top discard and meld all three immediately.
Lay down melds. A meld is 3 to 7 cards of the same rank. Your team's first meld of the round must total at least the round's minimum in card points. After that, either partner can add to any of the team's melds.
Wild cards (2s and jokers) can fill in, but every meld must have more natural cards than wilds. 3s are never melded.
When a meld reaches 7 cards it becomes a book. Square it up into a pile, with a red card on top for a clean book (no wilds) or a black card on top for a dirty book (includes wilds).
End your turn by discarding 1 card face up. If you play or discard the last card in your hand, pick up your foot and keep playing from it on your next turn (or right away if you finished the hand by melding).

4End of a hand

A round ends when a player goes out. To go out, your team needs at least one clean book and one dirty book (many tables require two of each), and you must have played through your hand and into your foot. You go out by melding or discarding your last card. Everyone then totals their scores for the round, the deal passes left, and the next round starts with a higher minimum first meld.

5Scoring

At the end of each round, each team adds up book bonuses, the card values of everything it melded, red 3 bonuses, and the going-out bonus. Then subtract the card values of every card still in both partners' hands and feet.

For	Points
Clean book (7 cards, no wilds)	500
Dirty book (7 cards, includes wilds)	300
Going out	100
Red 3 laid down	+100
Red 3 left in hand or foot	−100
Joker	50
Ace or 2	20
King through 8	10
7 through 4	5
Black 3	5

Card values count for you if the card is melded and against you if it's still in your hand or foot at the end of the round. The same card values are used to check the minimum first meld: for example, three kings (30) plus a joker (50) makes 80, enough for round 1 or 2 but not round 3.

The hand and foot score sheet will do the adding up at the table. More detail: hand and foot scoring explained.

6Winning

After four rounds (with the first-meld minimum rising to 150 by round 4), the team with the highest total score wins. Some groups agree on a target score instead of a round count. If teams are tied after four rounds, play another round at the 150 minimum.

7A worked hand

Round 1 ends when your partner goes out. Your team has one clean book of seven kings (500) and one dirty book of five queens plus two jokers (300), which meets the one-clean, one-dirty requirement. Going out adds 100, so bonuses total 900. Now add the card values of everything melded. The seven kings are 7 × 10 = 70. The dirty book is five queens at 10 each (50) plus two jokers at 50 each (100), so 150. You also have a meld of three 5s on the table, worth 15, and a red 3 you laid down earlier, worth 100. That's 70 + 150 + 15 + 100 = 335 in melded points. Finally, subtract what's left: you are still holding an ace (20) and a 7 (5) in your foot, which costs 25. Your team's round score is 900 + 335 − 25 = 1,210. The other team adds up their books and melded cards the same way, but since they didn't go out, they get no 100 bonus and subtract every card left in both their players' hands and feet.

8House rules

The rules above are the version most US players use. These are the variations you are most likely to run into; settle them before the first deal.

13-card hand and foot: Pagat.com lists 13-card piles as standard, and many groups deal 13 instead of the 11 used by Bicycle. Some deal 11 in the hand and 13 in the foot.
Two clean and two dirty to go out: Many tables require two clean and two dirty books before a team can go out, making rounds longer and scores higher. Some also add a wild book requirement.
Wild books: Some groups allow books made only of 2s and jokers, typically worth 1,500 (pagat.com lists this bonus).
Ask partner to go out: Many families require you to ask 'Partner, may I go out?' and follow the answer. Your partner may say no if they are holding a lot of points.
Take the whole pile: Bicycle and pagat.com have you take the top seven discards, but many home games let you take the whole pile once you can meld the top card.
Stricter wild limits: Some versions allow only one wild in a meld of 3 to 5 cards and two in a meld of 6 or 7, instead of 'more naturals than wilds.'

9Mistakes people make

3s are never melded. Red 3s are laid aside for a 100-point bonus, and black 3s are only for discarding to block the pile.
A meld must always have more natural cards than wild cards, so a 7-card dirty book has at least four naturals.
You need two natural cards matching the top discard to pick up from the discard pile, and a black 3 on top can't be picked up at all.
You can't go out until your team has the required clean and dirty books, even if you could play your last card.

10Playing better

Get into your foot quickly. Cards stuck in your hand count against you, and the foot gives you 11 fresh cards to work with.
Build clean books when you can. A clean book is worth 200 more than a dirty one, so don't spend wilds on a meld that could finish clean.
Save wild cards to rescue melds and to make the first meld in later rounds, when the 120 and 150 minimums are hard to reach.
Discard black 3s when the discard pile is big and the next player seems ready to grab it. A black 3 on top blocks the pickup.
Talk with your partner about going out. Going out while your partner still holds a full hand can cost your team more than the 100 bonus.

Hand and Foot: questions people ask

How many cards are in a hand and a foot?: In the common US version from Bicycle, each player gets 11 cards for the hand and 11 for the foot. Many groups deal 13 of each instead, which pagat.com lists as standard. Whatever you pick, the hand is played first and the foot stays face down until the hand is used up.
How many decks do you need for Hand and Foot?: Use 5 or 6 standard decks with the jokers left in for four players. One version on pagat.com uses one more deck than the number of players. Shuffle them together in several stacks, since that many cards are hard to shuffle at once.
What is a clean book vs a dirty book?: A book is a meld of exactly 7 cards of the same rank. A clean book has no wild cards and is worth 500 points. A dirty book includes at least one 2 or joker and is worth 300. Mark clean books with a red card on top and dirty books with a black card.
What do you need to go out in Hand and Foot?: Your team needs at least one clean book and one dirty book, and you must have played through your hand and picked up your foot. Then you go out by melding or discarding your last card, earning 100 points. Many families require two clean and two dirty books instead.
What are the meld minimums for each round?: Your team's first meld of each round must be worth at least 50 points in round 1, 90 in round 2, 120 in round 3, and 150 in round 4. Count card values: jokers 50, aces and 2s 20, kings through 8s 10, and 7s through 4s 5.
What do red 3s and black 3s do?: Red 3s are bonus cards: lay one face up as soon as you get it and draw a replacement. Each red 3 on the table is worth +100, but one left in your hand or foot at round end costs 100. Black 3s are worth 5 and are mainly used as discards to block the next player from picking up the pile.
Can you pick up the discard pile in Hand and Foot?: Yes, if you hold two natural cards matching the top discard. You meld those three cards right away and take the top seven cards of the pile, per Bicycle and pagat.com. Many home games let you take the whole pile. You can never pick up the pile when a black 3 is on top.

Sources

Checked by Morgan Hale against the sources below. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.

How to Play Hand and Foot, Bicycle Cards. Read September 28, 2026.
Hand and Foot, pagat.com. Read September 28, 2026.

Also on the table: Canasta, Rummy, Phase 10, Spades.