Hand and Foot Rules Variations
Quick answer
Hand and Foot rules variations come down to a handful of choices: 11 or 13 cards in each hand and foot, which books you need to go out, how many wild cards a meld may hold, what red threes are worth, whether you take the top 7 cards or the whole pile, and the first-meld minimum each round. Agree on them before the first deal. The builder below turns your choices into a one-page summary to print.
Families change the same seven or eight rules
There is no official rulebook, so no version is wrong. These are the rules that change from table to table. The full list with pagat's and Bicycle's choices is in our Hand and Foot rules.
- Hand and foot size: 13 cards (pagat) or 11 (Bicycle and many families).
- Books to go out: from 1 clean and 1 dirty up to 2 clean, 2 dirty and 1 wild.
- Wild cards in a meld: naturals outnumber wilds two to one (2 in a book), or up to 3.
- Red threes: plus 100, or a penalty.
- The pile: top 7 cards or the whole pile.
- First-meld minimums: usually 50, 90, 120, 150 over four rounds.
- Book values: clean 500, dirty 300, wild 1,500 in pagat's version.
- Partner in the foot: whether your partner must have picked up their foot before your side goes out.
Build your family's rules and print them
Pick “Classic” or “Simple”, then change anything your family does differently. The summary updates as you go. Press Print and only the summary prints.
Build your table rules
Start from a rule set, change what your family plays differently, then print the summary for the table.
Books your side needs to go out
What books are worth
Our Hand and Foot table rules
- 4 players in two partnerships: shuffle 5 decks with their jokers.
- 13 cards in the hand and 13 in the foot.
- 4 rounds. First meld needs 50, 90, 120, 150 points.
- To go out your side needs 2 clean, 2 dirty and 1 wild book.
- Natural cards must outnumber wild cards two to one (1 wild in 3–5 cards, 2 in a book).
- Red threes are laid down at once and score 100 each.
- Discard pile: take the top 7 cards with a natural pair matching the top card.
- Books: clean 500, dirty 300, wild 1500.
- Going out scores 100.
- A black three left in your hand or foot costs 5.
- Your partner must pick up their foot before your side can go out.
Twos and jokers are wild. Draw 2, discard one. A book is 7 cards of one rank.
To play them online, open Settings in our Hand and Foot game and choose Custom: the options are the same.
Named versions on pagat.com, and how they differ
| Version | What is different |
|---|---|
| Partnership (pagat's main rules) | 13-card hand and foot. Books 500 / 300 / 1,500. Go out with 2 clean, 2 dirty and 1 wild book. Take up to 7 cards. Our Classic rules. |
| Saskatchewan | 11-card hand and 13-card foot. Canastas may grow past seven cards. Up to 3 wild cards in a dirty canasta. Take the whole pile. Go out with one clean, one dirty and one wild canasta. Round 4 needs a hidden canasta. |
| Steve Simpson (each for themselves) | 11-card hand and foot. Clean book 300, dirty 100. Red threes minus 500 each. A bonus of 100 for grabbing exactly 22 cards when you take your hand and foot. |
| Brian Brouillette | Red threes minus 500 in the higher-scoring version. Black threes can make a meld. A discarded wild card freezes the pile. More books needed to go out in round 4. |
Some of these, like an 11-card hand with a 13-card foot or books longer than seven, don't fit the builder or our game. Write them on the sheet by hand if you play them.
Agree before the first deal, and keep the sheet on the table
- Settle the rules before anyone looks at a card. Changing them mid-round always favors someone.
- When a question comes up that the sheet doesn't answer, decide it, then write the answer on the sheet for next time.
- New players? Start with fewer books to go out. Rounds end sooner and everyone sees how the game flows.
- Keep score on our Hand and Foot score sheet; its online keeper offers the same Classic, Simple and Custom choices.
If you like Hand and Foot, try
Phase 10 rules
2–6 players · 60 min · Easy to learn
Rules, the list of all 10 phases and free score sheets.
Canasta
2–6 players · 60 min · Learn in a game or two
Meld sevens of a kind with your partner. Red threes are a bonus.
Gin Rummy
2 players · 20 min · Easy to learn
Build runs and sets, then knock when your leftovers are low.
Questions people ask
Are there official Hand and Foot rules?
No. Hand and Foot is a family game passed around by word of mouth, so there is no official rulebook. pagat.com and Bicycle Cards each publish a version, and they differ on hand size, books needed and wild cards.
How many books do you need to go out in Hand and Foot?
It depends on your rules. pagat's partnership version asks for 2 clean, 2 dirty and 1 wild book. Many families ask for 1 clean and 1 dirty. Some raise it in later rounds.
Do you take the whole discard pile in Hand and Foot?
In pagat's partnership rules you take the top 7 cards. Plenty of families take the whole pile instead. Either way you need a natural pair matching the top card.
Are red threes good or bad in Hand and Foot?
In pagat's partnership rules a red three laid down is worth 100, and one caught in your hand or foot costs 100. Some versions make every red three a penalty, as much as minus 500.
How many wild cards can a book have?
Under the two-to-one rule a 7-card book can hold 2 wild cards. Under the common family rule of up to 3 wild cards, it can hold 3.