Red Threes in Hand and Foot: Rules, Points and House Rules

In Hand and Foot, a red three is a bonus card you can’t meld. In the most common rules, you lay it face up on the table as soon as you get it, draw a card to replace it, and it scores 100 points for your team at the end of the round. If it’s still hiding in your hand or foot when someone goes out, it costs you 100 points instead.

That’s the short answer. The longer answer is that red threes are the rule tables argue about most. Below is how they usually work, plus the four house rules you’re most likely to run into.

Quick answer

• Red threes (the 3 of hearts and the 3 of diamonds) can’t be used in melds.
• Lay them down right away, face up near your team’s melds, and draw a replacement card.
• Each red three on the table is worth +100. Each one stuck in a hand or foot is worth −100.
• They don’t count toward your opening meld.
• You can’t pick up the discard pile when a three is on top.

When you get a red three

How you handle it depends on where it shows up.

Where the red three is	What to do
In your hand when the cards are dealt	Before your first turn, lay it face up and draw a replacement from the stock.
You draw it from the stock	Lay it face up right away and draw another card.
In your foot when you pick it up	Lay it face up and draw a replacement, the same as above.
It’s the first card turned up for the discard pile	Most tables bury it back in the stock and turn up a new card.
In your foot when an opponent goes out	It counts against you, because you never got to play it.

That last row is why red threes can sting. You can do everything right in your hand and still lose points from a foot you never reached.

Do red threes count toward the opening meld?

No. The opening meld (50 points in round 1, then 90, 120 and 150) has to come from cards you actually meld. A red three is laid down beside your melds, but its 100 points are only added when the round is scored.

Can you pick up the pile with a red three on top?

In most games, no. The discard pile can’t be picked up when a three of either color is on top. Some tables go further and say a red three anywhere near the top “freezes” the pile. If you play with those rules, write it on your score sheet before you start.

Four common red three house rules

Every family and club seems to score red threes a little differently. These are the four versions we see most often. None of them is wrong, as long as everyone at the table agrees before the first deal.

House rule	Red three on the table	Red three stuck in hand or foot	How it feels to play
Classic (most common)	+100	−100	A small bonus. Nice to have, not worth worrying about.
Big bonus	+300	−300 or −100	Red threes become exciting. A lucky round can swing the game.
Always bad	Discard it right away	−500	A “hot potato.” You want it out of your hand fast, and a red three becomes a way to block the pile.
Bonus only	+100	0	The gentlest rule. Good for new players and grandkids.

One more twist some clubs add to any of these: red threes count against you if your team hasn’t made a book yet. It rewards teams that get going early.

Which one should your table use?

• Learning the game, or playing with new players? Use Classic or Bonus only. Nobody gets punished for a card they couldn’t control.
• Want more excitement? Try Big bonus. Scores climb faster and red threes feel like a prize.
• Experienced players who like strategy? Always bad adds a decision to every red three you draw. Do you get rid of it now, or hold it to block the next player?

Red threes vs. black threes

It’s easy to mix them up, so here’s the difference in one place.

	Red threes	Black threes
Can you meld them?	No	No (except as part of going out at some tables)
What you do with them	Lay them face up right away	Discard them
Points	+100 on the table, −100 if stuck (classic rule)	5 points against you if left over
Special use	None	A black three on top blocks the next player from picking up the pile

Keep track of your house rules

Whatever your table decides, write it at the top of your score sheet. Our free printable Hand and Foot score sheet has a red threes line in every round, and our scoring guide shows how red threes fit into the round total. New to the game? Start with the complete Hand and Foot rules.

In our Hand and Foot app, red threes are one of the house rules you can set: how many points each one is worth, whether a stuck red three counts against you, and whether red threes turn negative for a team with no books. The computer players and the score pad then follow the same rules your family uses.