Card values cheat sheet: Ace, face, number, joker
The card values Indian rummy rooms use most often, with worked examples and a printable cheat sheet.
The card values table
| Card type | Examples | Point value |
|---|---|---|
| Ace | A♠ A♥ A♦ A♣ | 10 |
| Face cards | K♠ Q♠ J♠ | 10 |
| Number card | 2 through 10 | Face value |
| Printed joker | JK | 0 |
| Wild joker | Cut card rank | 0 |
Worked example
You declare with one pure sequence (5♥ 6♥ 7♥), one impure sequence (8♠ 9♠ JK J♠) and a set (Q♥ Q♦ Q♣). The remaining cards are a 2♥ and a 2♠. Score: 2 + 2 = 4 points. A winner scores zero; the unmatched cards add up to the loser's score.
If you had declared without the pure sequence: only the impure sequence and the set: that is a wrong declaration. Most rooms score the wrong declaration at twice the unmatched-card value, so the same hand would cost 8 points.
If you drop after your first draw, you score 25 points. If you drop later in the hand, you score 50 points. The drop table is the cheapest insurance against a hand that will not come together.
Why face value changes drop math
High cards are not “stronger” in Indian rummy; they are more expensive when left unmatched. An ace, king and queen sitting outside a sequence already exceed a first-drop penalty. That is why the strategy desk asks whether you have a pure sequence before you chase glamorous ranks.
Print or screenshot this table for kitchen-table games, then re-check the room you join online. Some platforms cap unmatched points at 80 per player even when the raw sum is higher.