Strike (X): all 10 pins down on first ball; score = 10 + the next 2 balls' pin totals; Spare (/): all 10 pins down across 2 balls; score = 10 + the next 1 ball's pin total; Open frame: pins remaining after 2 balls; score = pin total
Why people argue about this
People often argue that scoring in the 10th frame is too straightforward—some believe a strike there should count as 20 plus the next ball's score, rather than just adding one more ball's score to their total. But actually, this rule ensures fairness by limiting bonuses to one extra ball per frame, preventing any game from skyrocketing uncontrollably high scores.
