How Skull King scoring works
Skull King is a pirate trick-taking game played over ten rounds, with one more card dealt each round, in which every player bids exactly how many tricks they will win.
The cards
The deck has four suits numbered 1 to 14: three standard suits and the black Jolly Roger suit, which is trump. Special cards beat the suits: escape cards lose every trick, pirates beat the numbers, mermaids beat the numbers and the Skull King, and the Skull King beats the pirates. Newer editions add the Tigress, the Kraken, the White Whale and Loot cards.
Rounds and bidding
Round one deals one card to each player, round two two, up to ten in the last round. After looking at their cards, everyone bids at once, holding out a fist and showing a number of fingers, how many tricks they will take that round.
Scoring a bid
A bid of one or more made exactly scores 20 points for each trick. A missed bid loses 10 points for every trick over or under. A bid of zero scores 10 points for every card dealt that round if you take no tricks, and loses the same amount if you take any.
Bonus points
Players who make their bid also score bonuses: 10 for each standard 14 they captured, 20 for the black 14, 20 for each mermaid taken with a pirate, 30 for each pirate taken with the Skull King, and 40 for taking the Skull King with a mermaid. A Loot card forms an alliance worth 20 to each player when both make their bid.
The Kraken
When the Kraken is played, nobody wins that trick, so the tricks taken in the round add up to one fewer than the cards dealt.
Rascal's scoring
The rulebook's alternative gives each player a potential score of 10 points for every card dealt: all of it for an exact bid, half for one trick off, nothing for more. Players can also bet a cannonball, worth 15 points a card for an exact bid and nothing otherwise.
Winning
After the tenth round the highest total wins. With eight players the deck runs short, so the last rounds deal fewer cards.
What Score All does with these rules
Bids and tricks, every round
Round one deals one card, round two two, up to ten. Before play everyone bids how many tricks they will take; after the round enter each player's bid and the tricks they took. The console shows how many cards to deal next.
How a round scores
A bid of one or more made exactly scores 20 a trick. Missing it costs 10 for every trick over or under. A bid of zero is worth 10 for every card dealt that round if you take no tricks, and costs the same if you take any.
Bonus points
Captured cards are counted for you on an exact bid: 10 for each standard 14, 20 for the black 14, 20 for each mermaid taken with a pirate, 30 for each pirate taken with the Skull King and 40 for taking the Skull King with a mermaid. Loot alliances add 20 each when both players make their bid. Prefer one box per player? Choose that instead.
Rascal scoring and the Kraken
Rascal's scoring gives every player 10 points a card dealt for an exact bid, half that for one trick off and nothing for more, with the all-in cannonball as an option. When the Kraken sinks a trick, the tricks add up to one fewer, and the sheet allows it.
Skull King scoring FAQ
How do you score Skull King?
A made bid scores 20 a trick, a missed bid loses 10 for every trick off, and a zero bid scores or loses 10 for every card dealt. Bonuses for captures count only when the bid is made.
How many rounds are in Skull King?
Ten, with one card dealt in the first round and ten in the last.
What is the Skull King worth?
Capturing pirates with the Skull King is worth 30 each, and taking the Skull King with a mermaid is worth 40, on a made bid.
Is there a free Skull King score keeper app?
Yes. Score All keeps Skull King score for free on any phone: bids, tricks, bonuses and running totals for ten rounds, with a live link the table can follow.
How do you score a zero bid in Skull King?
If you bid zero and take no tricks, you score 10 for every card dealt that round, so 70 in round seven. If you take even one trick, you lose that much instead.
Do bonus points count if you miss your bid?
Not in the rulebook: bonuses only count on an exact bid. Some tables count them anyway, and Score All has that as a house rule.