Scoring Points in Hand 'n Foot

Although the idea behind the game of Hand 'n Foot is simple -- you earn points by creating groups of cards -- there are different ways to go about it. And of course some moves are more profitable than others. Let's go over some of them.

You have a chance to earn 100 points right at the start when you're picking up your cards from the shuffled deck. If you manage to pull out exactly 22 cards, you are awarded 100 points.

Certain groups of cards award more points than others. A Dirty Group (one that has a Wild Card or two mixed in) is only worth 300 points. Compare that to a Clean Group, which gives you 500 points. Cap the Clean Group with a Lady for an extra 100 points.

If you want to crown yourself with an extra 2000 points, create a group made entirely from Wild Cards.

Simply going out (when applicable) gets you 100 points.

Remember, there are also ways to LOSE points. While the Lady is a handy card to add value to a complete Clean Group, she will cost you 500 points if she's still in your hand when your opponent goes out. Ouch.

The one card that gives you absolutely nothing is the Villain. The only thing this fellow is good for is blocking or freezing the discard pile. He doesn't add anything to Melds or Groups. Big fat zero, although he can give you an advantage if you want to prevent other people from picking up the discard pile.