Tichu Card Values: The Complete Scoring Guide
How many points is each card worth in Tichu? Fives, tens, kings, Dragon, Phoenix and how to count correctly at the end of a round.
The cards that score points
In Tichu, not every card counts. The points hide in specific cards: each Five is worth 5 points, each Ten and each King are worth 10 points.
The deck holds 100 points in total — this helps you estimate how many points are 'at stake' in each trick.
The Dragon: +25 points with a catch
The Dragon is the highest single card in the game and worth +25 points. But it has a catch: whoever wins the trick with the Dragon must give that trick to an opponent of their choice.
That means the Dragon is a weapon for winning the lead, not necessarily for winning points. Play it when the trick holds few points or when you absolutely need control.
The Phoenix: -25 points
The Phoenix is a wild card that completes combinations, but it costs -25 points to whoever holds it at the end. It's the only card with a negative value.
Use it early to escape its weight — and if you can, make sure an opponent picks it up with the last trick.
Mahjong and Dog: 0 points, huge value
The Mahjong and the Dog score no points, but their strategic value is priceless: the Mahjong starts the round and triggers the wish, while the Dog passes the lead to your partner.
How points are counted at the end
When the round ends, the last player gives their remaining cards to the opponents and the tricks they collected to the player who went out first.
If both teammates finish 1st and 2nd, the team scores 200 points and no cards are counted at all — the so-called double victory.
Declarations are added or subtracted from the score: Tichu +100/-100 and Grand Tichu +200/-200. The first team to reach 1000 points wins.