Learn How to Play Rummy

Playing rummy online is no different from the traditional rummy. It is the same 13 card game. However, there are only few changes to the rules, time and rewards. For the convenience of all our novice readers, here are some details on How to Play Rummy (Indian Rummy).

Indian Rummy is usually played with 2 to 6 players. A single deck of 52 cards is used (54 if wild cards are included). Each player takes turn dealing the cards. If there are more than 4 players, two decks are used. However each player is dealt 13 cards.

The dealer deals each player 13 cards face down. The next card from the deck is turned face up which means that it is the start of the discard pile. The rest of the deck is positioned face down and becomes the stock pile.

Object of the game:

The purpose of the rummy game is to complete a hand with most or all cards formed into sets and / or sequence. A sequence is comprised of three or more cards bearing the same suit and in consecutive order.

A Set is formed of three or four cards that are identical rank and of different suits. A card can be used only once either in a set or sequence. Each card must be of the same rank a different suit for a set. However when two decks are used situations arise when you have in your hand two cards of the same suit and rank.

An important point in Indian rummy is that your hand must contain at least two sequences and if jokers are in play, at least one of the sequences should be a pure sequence (ie, contain no joker or wild card). Such pure sequence is sometimes referred to as “Life 1” and the second one which need not be a pure sequence sometimes referred as “Life 2”.

Indian Rummy Play Turn by Turn

Two main elements during a single turn of Indian Rummy are the draw and the discard:

Drawing: The first player must take just one card either from the discard pile or the stock pile. This card should be added to the 13 cards in the existing hand. Discard pile is placed face up and the top card is known as upcard. If the player chooses to take from the stock, his opponent will not see the card (since cards on the stock pile are face down).

Discarding: Each player should examine their cards after drawing. The least important card for the sequence or set should be placed on the discard pile face up.

A player who manages to meld all his cards and his hand meets the requirement of containing at least two sequences (one of which is pure with no wild cards), then he can place all his melds on the table discarding the final card (traditionally face down) to signal victory. Other players display their melds and deadwood is counted up and scored accordingly.

When the stock pile runs out

In case there is only one card left on the stock pile and the player, in his turn, does not want the card on the discard pile, then the discard pile is taken, shuffled and turned over to start a new stock pile.

Scoring

Face cards (Jack, Queen, King) score 10 points. Aces score 10 points. Jokers are worth 0 points. Rest of the deck score the rank as the value (ie., pip value). For example 6❤ is worth 6 points.

Aces are high and the cards rank in this order: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Q K A. Ace is always high in Indian Rummy. A❤ 2❤ 3❤ is a valid sequence and also Q❤ K❤ A❤ but Aces do not go "round the corner" and therefore K❤A❤ 2❤ is not a valid meld.

Each player will have to tally up the value of each unmatched cards and players are scored negative points for all such cards. The winner earns the combined deadwood counts as a positive value. Players can play a single hand but can also keep dealing the cards for subsequent games until one reaches a previously agreed target score or until they play a fixed number of deals or until a set amount of time has elapsed.