How Rook scoring works
Rook is a partnership bidding game played with its own deck and scored on the counters each side takes in tricks; the side that wins the bid must reach it or lose it.
The deck
The Rook deck has 57 cards: 1 through 14 in four colors (black, green, red and yellow) and the Rook bird. The partnership game in the box takes out the 1s through 4s and keeps the bird, a 41-card deck: nine cards to each of four players and five to the nest.
Counters
Only some cards score. Each 5 is worth 5 points, each 10 and each 14 is worth 10, and the Rook bird is worth 20, for 120 points in a hand. Kentucky-style games keep the 1s, worth 15 each, for 180, and some tables then add 20 for the last trick or for taking the most cards, for 200.
Bidding and the nest
Players bid in fives for the right to name trump, starting at 70 in the official game (often 100 when a hand is worth 180). The high bidder picks up the nest, discards five cards and names trump. Whoever takes the last trick also takes the nest and any counters buried in it.
Making the bid or going set
If the bidding partnership takes counters worth at least its bid, it scores everything it took. If not, it is set: it loses the amount of its bid and its counters score nothing. The other partnership always scores its own counters.
Winning
The first partnership to 300 wins in the official rules, and if both pass 300 on the same hand the higher total wins. 500 is the usual target for 180- and 200-point games. Some tables let the bidding side go out first, and some end the game for a side that falls to a set negative score.
Shooting the moon
Shooting the moon is a house rule with two common forms: a call made before play that doubles the points if the bid is made and the loss if it is set, or a bid of every point in the hand that wins the game if made and loses it if set.
Five or six players
The official five- and six-player game leaves out the bird and uses all 56 numbered cards; only the 5s, 10s and 14s count, 100 points a hand. Each player is on their own, the lowest bid is 30, and the game goes to 150.
What Score All does with these rules
The bid, then the counters
Pick the side that won the bid and the bid itself, from the lowest opening bid up to every point in the hand, in fives. After the hand, enter the counters each side took. They must add up to the hand total (120 with the deck in the box), which catches a miscount before it is scored. The nest counts for whoever took it.
Making it or going set
If the bidding side took at least its bid, it scores everything it took. If not, it is set: the bid comes off its score and its counters count for nothing. The other side scores its own counters either way.
120, 180 or 200 a hand
The deck in the box has 120 points: 5s are worth 5, 10s and 14s 10, and the Rook bird 20. Many tables add the 1s at 15 each for 180, and a 20-point bonus for the last trick or the most cards makes 200. Set the counter total and the bonus once, and the bids and the check follow.
Shooting the moon and other house rules
Tables that shoot the moon play it one of two ways: called before play for double or nothing, or a bid of every point in the hand that wins or loses the game outright. Bidder goes out first, a losing score such as -300, and the five- or six-player game without the bird are settings too.
Rook scoring FAQ
How many points do you need to win Rook?
300 in the official partnership game. Tables playing with 180 or 200 points a hand usually play to 500.
What is the Rook bird worth?
20 points. In the official game it is also the highest trump; some tables rank it lowest instead, which changes the play but not the scoring.
Do the defenders score in Rook?
Yes. The side that did not win the bid always scores the counters it took, whether the bidders make it or not.
What is the minimum bid in Rook?
70 in the official game, in steps of 5. Games with 180 points a hand usually start at 100.
Is there a free Rook score keeper app?
Yes. Score All keeps Rook score for free on any phone: the bid, the counters each side took, sets and bonuses, with a live link the whole table can follow.
How many points are in a hand of Rook?
120 with the standard 41-card deck: four 5s, four 10s, four 14s and the Rook bird at 20. With the 1s counting 15 each it is 180, and many tables add 20 for the last trick or the most cards to make 200.
What happens when you get set in Rook?
The bidding side loses the amount of its bid and scores nothing for its counters. The other side still scores the counters it took.