Scoring in 45s
Every hand is worth 30 points. What you do with them depends on whether your team won the bid.
Points in a hand
- Each of the five tricks is worth 5 points.
- The trick containing the highest trump played in the hand is worth 5 more, so 10 in all. It doesn't matter who played that trump; whoever wins the trick gets the 10.
5 tricks × 5 + 5 bonus = 30 points. Points come in fives, so every score in 45s is a multiple of five.
Making your bid or getting set
| Team | Took at least the bid | Took less than the bid |
|---|---|---|
| Bidding team | Scores everything it took | Set: loses the amount it bid |
| Other team | Scores everything it took (see over 100) | |
A team that's been set can go below zero. Being below zero is called being in the hole.
30 for 60
A bid of 30 means taking all five tricks (all 30 points). Because that's so hard, most tables double it: make a 30 bid and you score 60. Miss even one trick and you lose 30.
60 for 120
Many tables give a team in the hole a way back: they can bid 60, which outbids a 30. It's still a promise to take all five tricks. Make it and you score 120; miss and you lose 60.
The over-100 rule
Once a team has 100 or more, it can only score by winning the bid. If it doesn't win the bid, the points it takes don't count. It can still take tricks to help set the bidders.
This stops a team from coasting over the line on the other team's bid. To finish the game, you have to bid for it.
Winning the game
- The game is 120 points (125 at a few tables).
- Scores are only checked at the end of a hand. You can't win in the middle of one.
- If both teams finish a hand at 120 or more, the bidding team wins.
Scoring examples
| Bid | Bidders took | Others took | Bidders score | Others score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 20 | 10 | +20 | +10 |
| 20 | 25 | 5 | +25 | +5 |
| 25 | 20 | 10 | −25 | +10 |
| 15 (dealer bagged) | 10 | 20 | −15 | +20 |
| 30 | 30 | 0 | +60 | 0 |
| 30 | 25 | 5 | −30 | +5 |
| 60 (from the hole) | 30 | 0 | +120 | 0 |
| 20, others at 105 | 15 | 15 | −20 | 0 (over 100) |
Keeping score
Two columns, one per team, with a running total. Write the bid beside the bidders' entry and circle sets so you can see at a glance who's been set and how often. Check the totals before every deal; it's easy to add when you should have subtracted.