What Is Hollywood Scoring?
Hollywood scoring (also called Hollywood Gin or Three-Way scoring) is an alternative scoring method for Gin Rummy where three separate games are tracked simultaneously on a single scoresheet.
The scoring method was named after Hollywood, where Gin Rummy was the dominant card game among film industry celebrities during the 1930s-1940s.
The Hollywood Scoresheet
A Hollywood scoresheet has three side-by-side columns for each player, representing three simultaneous games:
GAME 1 GAME 2 GAME 3
Alex Jordan Alex Jordan Alex Jordan
ββββ ββββββ ββββ ββββββ ββββ ββββββ
H1: 12 12
H2: 8 β 8
H3: 14 14 14 14
H4: 22 β 22 β 22
H5: 30 30 30 30 30
How Scores Flow Between Games
Game 1
Every hand’s score goes into Game 1 immediately. This game always has scores from the very beginning.
Game 2
A hand’s score goes into Game 2 only after both players have scored at least once in Game 1. Once that condition is met, all subsequent hands score in both Game 1 and Game 2.
Game 3
A hand’s score goes into Game 3 only after both players have scored at least once in Game 2. Once that condition is met, all subsequent hands score in all three games simultaneously.
The result: Early hands only score in 1 game. Middle hands score in 2 games. Late-game hands score in all 3 games β making them worth up to 3Γ as many total points as early hands. This creates massive scoring swings and come-from-behind possibilities.
Example Walkthrough
| Hand | Winner | Points | G1 Alex | G1 Jordan | G2 Alex | G2 Jordan | G3 Alex | G3 Jordan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex | 12 | 12 | β | β | β | β | β |
| 2 | Jordan | 8 | β | 8 | β | β | β | β |
| 3 | Alex | 14 | 14 | β | 14 | β | β | β |
| G2 opens because both players now have a Game 1 score | ||||||||
| 4 | Jordan | 22 | β | 22 | β | 22 | β | β |
| G3 opens because both players now have a Game 2 score | ||||||||
| 5 | Alex | 30 | 30 | β | 30 | β | 30 | β |
| Running totals | 56 | 30 | 44 | 22 | 30 | 0 |
After Hand 5, Alex leads in all three games. The game continues until someone reaches 100 in each game.
End-Game Bonuses in Hollywood
Each of the three games is settled separately with its own bonuses:
- Game bonus: 100 points to the winner of each individual game
- Box bonus: 25 points per hand won in each game
- Shutout bonus: +100 if opponent scored zero hands in a game
A player can win all three games, split the games, or lose all three β regardless of who reached 100 first in Game 1.
This means the total bonus points possible are much larger than in standard Gin Rummy, and the final settlement can be complex. Always add up all three games’ bonuses at the end.
Strategy Changes in Hollywood Gin
Late-game hands are worth much more. In hands where all three games are active, each win scores in 3 games simultaneously. A 15-point hand becomes effectively 45 total points across all games. This makes aggressive Gin attempts more valuable late in the game.
Come-from-behind is possible. A player who loses Game 1 can still win Games 2 and 3 (which start later and have fewer accumulated hands). This reduces the “hopeless game” problem where an early deficit makes catching up feel impossible.
Managing multiple simultaneous deficits requires thinking about all three games at once β a more complex strategic situation than single-game play.
When Hollywood Scoring Is Used
Hollywood scoring is common in:
- Organized social Gin Rummy sessions where players want longer, more dramatic games
- Casino settings (some Vegas Gin games use Hollywood)
- Some online platforms that offer it as an optional mode
Hollywood scoring is not used in most formal tournaments, which use standard single-game scoring for clarity and speed.
Learn more: History - Hollywood Golden Age | End-Game Bonuses | Score Sheet Guide