A multi-rule approach for encoding rules grouped in a rule chunk is provided. The approach includes a multi-rule with a multi-rule header representing headers of the rules and, in some cases, dimensional data representing dimensional data of the rules. The approach further includes disabling dimension matching of always matching dimensions, responding to an always match rule with a match response without matching, interleaving minimum/maximum values in a range field, interleaving value/mask values in a mask field, and for a given rule of rule chunk, encoding a priority field at the end of dimension data stored for the rule in the multi-rule. Advantageously, this approach provides efficient storage of rules and enables the efficient comparison of rules to keys.