Card Ranking & Values
In Thousand each card has two distinct values: a rank that determines which card wins a trick, and a point value that the winning side scores when the trick is captured.
Rank order (high to low)
Within any single suit, cards rank as follows during a trick:
A > 10 > K > Q > J > 9
This is the most common point of confusion for beginners coming from Whist or Bridge. In Thousand, the 10 is the second-highest card in every suit, beaten only by the Ace.
Point values
The point value of a card is added to the captured side's score for the deal:
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Ace (A) | 11 |
| Ten (10) | 10 |
| King (K) | 4 |
| Queen (Q) | 3 |
| Jack (J) | 2 |
| Nine (9) | 0 |
A full deck therefore contains 120 points in cards per deal
((11 + 10 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 0) × 4 = 120).
Marriage values
When the same player holds the King and Queen of one suit and declares them, the team scores a marriage bonus in addition to any points won in tricks. Marriage values vary by suit:
| Marriage | Suit symbol | Bonus points |
|---|---|---|
| Hearts marriage | ♥ K + Q | 100 |
| Diamonds marriage | ♦ K + Q | 80 |
| Clubs marriage | ♣ K + Q | 60 |
| Spades marriage | ♠ K + Q | 40 |
The mnemonic 100 / 80 / 60 / 40 descends through the suits in order ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠.
With every marriage active and all tricks captured, a single player can score 120 + 100 + 80 + 60 + 40 = 400 points in one deal — though this practically never happens.
See Trump & Marriages for how and when marriages may be declared.