TallynightHow to keep score in Rook
In Rook, only the counters score: 5s are worth 5, 10s and 14s are worth 10, and the Rook bird is worth 20, for 120 points a hand. The team that wins the bid must take at least what it bid, or it loses that amount. The first team to 300 wins.
- Players
- 4, in two teams of partners
- Who wins
- First team to 300
- Cards
- 41: 5 to 14 in four colours, plus the Rook
- Each hand
- 120 points in counters, bids from 70
What each card is worth
These are the official tournament rules, also called Kentucky Discard. Only four kinds of card score, and they're called counters. The rest are worth nothing, however many tricks they win.
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Each 5 | 5 |
| Each 10 | 10 |
| Each 14 | 10 |
| The Rook bird | 20 |
| Every other card | 0 |
| All the counters in a hand | 120 |
Each of the four colours has a 5, a 10 and a 14, so the counters add up to 20 + 40 + 40 + 20 = 120. That's why the highest bid is 120.
Bidding and the nest
Deal nine cards to each player and five face down in the middle. That's the nest.
Players bid how many points their team will take, starting at 70 and going up in 5s, as far as 120. Once you pass, you're out of the bidding for that hand.
The highest bidder picks up the nest, puts five cards back face down and names trumps. Counters can go back in the nest, and whoever takes the last trick wins the nest and scores the counters in it.
Making or missing the bid
When the hand is over, each team counts the counters in its tricks, plus the nest for whoever took the last trick.
If the bidding team took at least its bid, it scores everything it took, not only the bid. If it fell short, it's set: it scores nothing for its cards and loses the amount it bid.
The other team always scores the counters it took, whether the bid was made or not. Bid 85 and take 90, and you score 90. Bid 85 and take 80, and you score −85, while the other team scores its 40.
When the game ends
Keep a running total for each team. The first team to reach 300 at the end of a hand wins. If both teams pass 300 on the same hand, the higher total wins.
Scores can go below zero after a set. Write it with a minus sign and keep playing.
Home rules that change the score
Plenty of families play Rook their own way. Agree on these before you deal.
- The 1s in: some tables keep the 1s as the top card of each colour, worth 15 each, and give 20 for taking the most tricks. That makes 200 points a hand, and the game usually goes to 500.
- Kentucky Rook: another family version keeps the 1s at 15 but has no bonus for tricks. That's 180 a hand, with bids from 100 and a game to 500.
- Where the Rook ranks: in the tournament rules it's the highest trump. Some tables play it as the lowest trump, or between the 10 and the 11, which changes who wins its 20 points.
- Counters in the nest: at some tables the bidder may not put counters in the nest at all.
A scoring example
Ana and Ben are Team A, Cleo and Dev are Team B, playing the tournament rules. Every hand has 120 points in counters, including the nest.
| Hand | Bid | Counters taken (A · B) | Team A | Team B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team A, 80 | 95 · 25 | 95 | 25 |
| 2 | Team B, 90 | 50 · 70 | 50 | −90 |
| 3 | Team A, 100 | 105 · 15 | 105 | 15 |
| 4 | Team B, 75 | 40 · 80 | 40 | 80 |
| Total | 290 | 30 |
In hand 2, Team B bid 90 but took only 70, so it was set and lost 90. Team A still scored the 50 it took. In hand 4, Team B bid 75, took 80 and scored all 80.
Team A needs 10 more to reach 300. Team B is a long way behind, but a couple of big bids made can close the gap.
Keep score for Rook in Tallynight
Rook isn't one of Tallynight's built-in games yet, but it takes a minute to set up. Choose Something else, then Rounds, and under Who wins pick Highest. Turn on Play to a target and set it to 300, or 500 if you play with the 1s. Add each team as a player, tap Add to favourites so it's ready next time, then Start game.
After each hand, type both teams' points on one keypad, with a minus sign for a team that went set. Tallynight doesn't know Rook's counters or bids, so count them at the table as usual.
- Both teams' hand on one keypad, minus signs included
- Offers to end the game when a team reaches 300
- Tap any hand to fix a miscount
- A race chart of the whole game at the end
A Rook score sheet to print
Playing on paper tonight? Print a free Rook score sheet, or save it as a PDF.
Questions
How many points is the Rook card worth?
20. In the tournament rules it's also the highest trump, and you can play it on any trick, even when you could follow the colour led.
What are the counters in Rook?
The 5s are worth 5, the 10s and 14s are worth 10, and the Rook bird is worth 20. That's 120 points in every hand.
What happens if you don't make your bid in Rook?
Your team is set: it scores nothing for its cards and loses the amount it bid. The other team still scores the counters it took.
What is the lowest bid in Rook?
70 in the tournament rules. Bids go up in 5s, and the highest possible bid is 120, every counter in the hand.
Who gets the points in the nest in Rook?
Whoever takes the last trick. The bidder can bury counters in the nest, but they only count for the bidding team if it wins the last trick.
What score do you play to in Rook?
300 in the tournament rules. Tables that keep the 1s in, with 180 or 200 points a hand, usually play to 500.