Romme scoreboard
Online score sheet for Romme (German Rummy). 2-6 players, automatic cumulative totals, no pen-and-paper needed.
How scoring works
- 2 to 6 players. Each starts with 13 cards from a 2-deck pack including jokers.
- Open with a meld worth at least 40 points before you can score anything. Aces and jokers count 11; face cards count 10.
- Round winner scores 0 (they emptied their hand). Each other player adds the face value of cards still in hand — face cards 10, aces 11, jokers 20 or 25 by house rule.
- First player to cross 500 cumulative points loses the match. The scoreboard shows progress toward that target.
History & how it plays
Romme — known as Rommé in Germany and Austria, or German Rummy in English-language settings — has been a household staple across central Europe since the early 20th century. The game traces back to the broader Rummy family, which crossed from Mexico into the United States in the late 1800s before fragmenting into hundreds of regional variants. The German rules that this scoreboard tracks call for a 40-point first-meld threshold, jokers worth 20 to 25 points depending on house rules, and a match played to 500 cumulative points. A typical session lasts 30 to 90 minutes across 6 to 12 rounds, with the loser's score swelling whenever they get caught holding face cards or an unplayed joker.
Scoring tips & common pitfalls
Open at exactly 40 if you can — over-opening just leaves more cards on your rack for the next round. Keep jokers in your hand until the last possible move; a 20-point joker stuck in your rack at round-end is the single fastest way to balloon your total. Track which sets opponents have laid down — if three queens are out, you're never completing your fourth. Late-game, prioritize emptying your rack over big point plays: the round-winner scores 0, everyone else scores their losses, so finishing the round is always the cheapest path to a low total.
Frequently asked questions
How many players can play Romme?
Two to six. Most groups play with four, but the scoreboard adapts to any count in that range.
What does it mean to 'open at 40'?
Your first meld of the round must add up to at least 40 points before you can lay anything else on the table. Aces count 11, face cards count 10.
How are jokers valued?
Standard German rules count an unplayed joker as 20 points against you. Many house rules use 25, and a few use the joker's substituted-card value — pick one and stick with it across the match.
When does the match end?
When one player crosses 500 cumulative points they lose. The scoreboard surfaces the leader's distance to 500 so you can see how many more rounds are likely.
Start scoring
Open the homepage with this variant pre-selected; pick your players, hit Create.
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