Article: Now that you have your Hand and Foot decks (each totaling 11 cards), pick up your Hand deck and look through the cards. Your goal is to get rid of the Hand deck, then the Foot Deck, using a technique called 'Melding.' Each card in Hand and Foot has a different point value. The following cards are 'Wild cards.' Jokers are worth 50 points. Aces and 2's are worth 20 points. The rest of the cards are 'Natural cards.' 8's through Kings are worth 10 points. 4's through 7's are worth 5 points. A black 3 is worth -5 points. A red 3 is worth -300 points. A meld is a group of cards as few as 3 or as many as 7 total. A 'Clean meld' is a meld that is made up of only natural cards, regardless of suit, as long as it meets a minimum point threshold (this is explained in a later step). If you have 3 to 7 natural cards in your hand and can meet the minimum point threshold, you can play a 'Clean meld.' At the end of the game, natural melds are worth more points. A completed natural meld make up 'Red Piles.' A clean meld is only legal when it meets a minimum point threshold. Each round in a game of Hand and Foot has an increasing point threshold to meet. Clean melds are easier to play at the start of a game of Hand and Foot. A dirty meld is a group of 3 to 7 cards that contains both natural and wild cards and meets the minimum point threshold for the round. It doesn't matter what suits the cards are in. For example, if you have 2 natural cards in your hand and 1 wild card, you can construct a 3 card dirty meld. At the end of the game, dirty melds are worth less points than clean melds. A completed dirty meld makes up 'Black Piles.' Because dirty melds are easier to play, usually it's wise to save these plays for later in the game. To play a meld in a round of Hand and Foot, the cards that make up the meld must exceed a certain point value. A traditional game of Hand and Foot is made up of 4 rounds. In round 1, the point value must exceed 50. In round 2, the point value must exceed 90. In round 3, the point value must exceed 120. In round 4, the point value must exceed 150.

What is a summary?
Understand that the aim of the game is to get rid of your cards. Learn the card values. Look through your Hand deck for any 'Clean' melds. Search through your Hand deck for any 'Dirty' melds. Learn the minimum point thresholds for a play.