Rummy has been one of the most popular card games around the world for a long time and a major reason for this is the fact that rummy can be modified easily so that local players in various societies enjoy the game to their liking. They can modify the wagers, the number of players, deals and combinations.
A list of several accepted versions of rummy are Gin Rummy, Straight Gin, Canasta, Contract Rummy, 500 Rum or Pinochle, Double Rummy, Knock, Continental, Kalookie Rummy Version, Pan or Panguingue and Kalookie. Moreover, there are 30 local Rummy varations at Rummy Facts-Trivia Report to add to this long list.
One of the frequent terms used with these card games is meld or run, therefore, the definition is explained here, so that you can better understand this rummy games glossary.
Meld: is considered to be 3 or more cards which possess the same suit, rank or that are in a sequence. Example: trio of 10's or KQJ, all same suit. Also, known as a Run.
Canasta game glossary is the focus for this rummy skill games article, part 5 at gamerisms.The rules, scoring and strategies are included for this card game related to the rummy family.
This classic card game originating in Uruguay in the 1940s means basket has had many followers over its history.
During the 1950s, this card game was the most played within the Rummy family.
Additional variations include Samba, Bolivia and Burraco among others.
The game is best played with four people who play in partnerships of two though 2-6 players can also play. Two decks with four jokers are used that are shuffled together to form a 108 card game deck.
Note that jokers and twos or ‘deuces' are played as wild cards while the threes are referred to as special cards.
All the players pick a card and the one with the highest card deals first. The dealer cuts the pack and starts dealing clockwise with the cards face down. Each player receives a total of eleven cards if four players are playing, if three=13 cards and for two=15 cards.
The next card is placed on the table face up to begin the discard pile while the remaining cards form the stockpile. If the up card is a wildcard, another card is placed on it until a non-wild card appears.
Other players must also lay out all their red threes before them face up and pick cards from the stockpile to replace them. More about threes or treys later. As a standard, all the subsequent cards that are discarded during the game are placed face up on top of the upcard so that no other discards are visible.
The basic goal of winning for this card game is simple you have to achieve the highest number of points by melding your cards. This is where the game differs from most other rummy games wherein going out early or discarding the end card is of higher importance.
The player sitting on the dealer's left begins the game by drawing a card from either the discard pile or the stockpile. After forming a meld if possible, he/she has to then toss a card and the next player takes his/her turn. However, this drawing action is subject to certain rules that determine whether a player is allowed to draw or not.
Melding is much the same as in standard Rummy. Combination of three or more cards can be formed. You are only allowed to make a set (meld consisting of cards of the same rank) and not runs (sequences such as a 2, 3, 4) that are considered invalid in Canasta. All melds must be placed on the table during the game.
One partnership cannot have more than one meld of the same rank. A meld comprising totally of wild cards--jokers and deuce is also not allowed. It must have at least two non-wild cards and a maximum of three wild cards.
If a player has placed a set on the table, he/she may add cards of the same rank or jokers to the meld but cannot do so to the opponent's melds. Finally, all the melds of a partnership are placed before one of the partners.
A meld consisting of 7 or more cards including a ‘base' (four non-wild cards) is referred to as a ‘Canasta'.
A pure game (all non-wild cards) receives a bonus of 500 points and must be topped off with a red card.
A mixed game with 1-3 wild cards, earns a partnership a 300 point bonus and must be topped with a black card.
Scoring for this card game is applied as follows:joker=50 points, aces and deuces=20; K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8=10 each;7, 6, 5, 4 and a black 3=5 points.
Additional points are scored as follows:
A player may pick a card from the discard pile to form a meld after which he/she also has to:
Put the melded cards on the table and add the top card from the discard pile to this to form melds.
Take all the cards from the discard pile into his/her hand and form any melds if possible from these cards and then discard one card from their hand to indicate the turn has ended.
The discard is frozen for all sides if it contains any wild card or a red three, which is placed at a right angle to indicate. It is also frozen against a side before they make their first meld.
A player may unfreeze the discard by taking it. To take the pile, you must have two non-wild cards that can form a meld with the upcard, or a wild card to meld the upcard or by melding the upcard with an existing meld on the table.
A player can only go out by discarding the last card after they have melded at least one canasta or if the last card is used to meld one. There is a trick to keep in mind before going out--you should only go out if both the partners have discarded all their cards or one has and the other has a minimum number of cards.
Therefore, strategically it can be profitable to continue play even if you can go out. Additionally, you may take permission from the partner in a partnership game before they go out and if they say ‘no', you cannot go out.
If the stockpile runs out of cards, play ends. In addition, if a red three is drawn from the stockpile and if it is the last card, the red three is put face up on the table and play ends there too.
If the last card is not a red three, the game continues as long as a player is able to form melds from the discarded cards and the pile is not frozen.
You should take note of the cards in the discard pile.It is useful to discard high singles in the early stages as the opponents needs a certain number of points for the initial meld.
Do not freeze the pile if you have not melded, otherwise you might end up wasting a wild card.
Ensure that you meld before the stockpile runs out.Take care before picking up the discard pile. Only do so if you are sure you can form a Canasta or melds that enable you to go out.
Gin is perhaps one of the most popular variations of classic Rummy. It gained popularity in the 1930s when the depression hit the United States and people were looking for cheaper ways to keep themselves entertained.
The game can be played by two people though other variations allow for four or more players. The deck used is a standard 52-card deck with no wild cards.
The dealer deals out 10 cards to each player after which the next card, called the upcard, becomes the top of the discard pile while the rest becomes the stockpile.
The game then ensues with players forming their melds, either runs or sets, much like rummy. Examples are run=7-8-9 (same suit) or set=7-7-7 (same number).
The goal of the game is to form combinations in the form of sets or runs, consisting of three of four cards. In addition, one has to reduce the number of unmatched cards in one's hand to less than your opponents.
Playing gin rummy is faster and easier than classic rummy. It has clear-cut procedures that involve two compulsory acts.
The non-dealer has to play first and he/she has to either draw a card from the stockpile or the discard pile. Cards on the discard pile are placed face up while on the stockpile, they are face down. After noticing your cards, deciding which card you need least (one which does not form a set or a run), you must discard the card. Most house rules prevent players from drawing and discarding the same card.
A player can score or announce victory in Gin Rummy by knocking, ginning or undercutting.When a player has formed their cards into melds, they may choose to ‘knock' if the total value of their unmatched cards (deadwood) is less than ten points.
After this, his/her opponents match their unmatched cards by adding to his melds and thus reducing their deadwood counts. This is known as laying off'
A customary way of winning is that the player signals by throwing the final card face down instead of up.
When a player has no unmatched cards in his hand, then he may win by ‘ginning' which earns him a 25-point bonus and the points on deadwood for other players' hands. One advantage of ginning is that opponents cannot meld their cards on a gin hand.
Undercutting is a tricky way of winning. After a player knocks, if the opponent has a lower or equal deadwood count then he ‘undercuts' to score a 20 point bonus plus the total difference in their deadwood counts.
The opponent usually lowers their deadwood counts by laying off.The gin rummy game ends once a player knocks, gins, or undercuts or if there are only two cards left in the stock.
The player who scores 100 points usually wins the game (though some house rules extend game play to 150, 200 or 250 points).
The winner adds another 100 points as game bonus to the final score. Even if one player fails to win a game, then the winner doubles his entire score and that is called a ‘shutout'.
Straight Gin is the same except players cannot knock; Celebes Rhum - usually played in Southeast Asia where one cannot knock rather he/she has to meld all his cards using jokers. The third, Oklahoma Gin is the most popular version.
Oklahoma Gin:
Oklahoma Gin is similar, however with this difference - the rank of the topmost card of the discard pile (the up card) decides the highest number of points needed for a player to knock in that particular hand.For example, the up card is 6 then a player must have six points or less. If however, that card is an ace, then both must play for gin. Some house rules say that a spades for the up card doubles the points in the hand.
Oklahoma Gin has more skills involved compared to Gin Rummy and thus requires more strategy. One must remember that with a high knock card value, one must play for two melds and a quick knock. Alternatively, a low knock card requires that one must form three melds. Therefore, when it is compulsory to gin, kings and aces have the slightest value.
Click on one of the Rummy variations below to read more about it.
Contract rummy is perhaps one of the most played rummy games of all 7 rummy versions listed here. Though there are minor differences as to how it is played around the world, the basic rule is the same everywhere - a series of about five to seven hands are dealt out and each different hand has its own set of rules that determine how a player can go out and how one wins the points. This is the reason that the game is called Contract Rummy.
For example, a deal might require a player to have one set and one run before he/she can go out. Another might require two sequences or two sets, etc.
Contract Rummy can be played by three to eight players and the number of decks used depends accordingly.
If 3-4 players are playing, two decks plus a joker (105 cards in all) and for 5+ players, 3 decks and 2 jokers, etc. Apart from this, most other aspects of the game are similar to standard rummy.
500 Rum is another popular rummy game with the main distinction being that when two players are playing, each gets 13 cards (unlike the 10 cards that are dealt in standard rummy). The game is usually played by 2-8 players.
Points are counts for melded combinations and deducted for the players deadwood.Whoever reaches 500 points wins the game.
Most of the other rules including dealing and scoring are similar to standard rummy whereby one can go down by melding, laying off or discarding one's cards.
Double Rummy comes with its own set of exceptions that make the game unique.The deck for this rummy version utilizes 106 cards where two of the four jokers are removed from the deck.
Dealing and Scoring: regardless of the number of players playing, most house rules have fixed the number of cards to be dealt at 10. Scoring is same as standard rummy except the value of an ace which is 11 and a joker which is equal to 15 points.
Forming melds: A matched combination can be structured from three or four cards of the same rank. Again, players are free to use the joker in any meld as they are wild.
Laying off: if a player wants to lay off their cards, a meld containing a joker is treated only when the joker is not present in the middle of the combination. It may only be moved when it is present on the end of a meld. For example, KQJoker or Joker789. Additionally, a joker can be moved only once.
Knock rummy is also known as Poker Rum because the game is best played by two to five players. When four players are playing, a single deck is used. However, with five or more players, a double deck is used.
Dealing and Scoring: the number of cards each player receives in knock rummy depends on players - two players=10 cards each; when three or four players play=seven cards and when five or more players are present=six cards a player.
An ace is one point, face cards are 10 points apiece and other numbered cards are counted according to their pip value.
The scoring is slightly different too - the player with the lowest points is actually the winner unlike other rummy games. He/she wins points worth total difference in points of other players. If a player goes rummy, he wins another 25 points.
In addition, if another players ties with the knocker, then the other player wins and if the knocker does not have the lowest count, he/she has to pay the price of 10 points in addition to the difference in the counts of other players. Therefore, knocking must be done very carefully within this game.
Playing Knock Rummy Versions: the game is quite simple much like the standard game, the first player has to draw from the stockpile or take the up card and then discard to keep the total count even. However, one cannot form melds or lay off cards on other melds.One may end the hand by knocking before they can discard and then the knocker displays his melds and unmatched cards. Others follow and the hand thus ends.
The reason for the popularity of Continental Rummy is that the game can be enjoyed by a large group of players - from 2 to 12 players. The quantity of decks used depends on the number of players divided by two. Therefore, 3 to 4 players use two decks; 5-6 players use three decks, etc. Each is the usual 52-card deck to include one joker per deck.
Dealing and Scoring: Each player is dealt 15 cards in sets of threes and the objective of winning is to form sets and runs from all cards. An exception for this game is that only sequences are counted in Continental Rummy and not matched sets.
The player who goes down first with the least points is the winner and he takes a point from each player for the game, two points for each joker and another point for a deuce. Some house rules advocate bonus points for players who go out without drawing a single card or who have all the cards of the same suit.
This rummy version, also known as Kaluki or Kalooki can be played by two to four players. Essentially, the Kalookie rummy has almost all the rules of standard Rummy but a few important exceptions make this variation refreshingly different.
The Deck: two 52-card decks are pooled together with four additional jokers to make a total of 108 cards.
Dealing and Scoring: Each person is dealt 15 cards if four players are playing. With five players, 13 cards are dealt out each and with six, 11 cards.Scoring: each numbered card has the same points as the pip number (five of spades is worth five points); an ace is worth 15 points and each face card has 10 points. A joker when used in a set or run has the same points as the card it stands for and if a joker remains in a hand, it equals 25 points.
Main exceptions come out regarding the first meld - it must be equal to 51 points or more before a player can lay off or discard it. Also, a player cannot do this unless he or she has made their first combination.
Kalooki (also Kaluki or Kalookie) is a Rummy game available online that combines the use of wild cards - Jokers.
The Jokers spice up the game, providing players with many opportunities to apply the skill one has acquired.
For this card game, the melds in one's hand must reach a total count of 51 or more in order for them to lay down melds.The winner is the first player to dispose of all the cards in his hand at once, called Hunt, or the first player to dispose of all the cards in his hand by gradually melding and building, called Going Out.
This British version of Kalooki 51 (also Kaluki or Kalookie) is a Rummy game that also combines the use of wild cards - Jokers.With this version, the melds in one's hand must reach a total count of 40 or more in order for them to lay down melds for the first time. Another exciting rule makes it impossible to pick up cards from the discard pile without laying down one or more melds.
Panguingue was a popular game in the 1800s and still remains as such in certain places around the world. The game is unique when compared to the other rummy versions.
Eight 40-card decks are used by removing the 8s, 9s and 10s. Each player receives 10 cards and before a game starts, each has to decide whether he/she will play the hand or not.If not, he/she pays a small penalty that eventually goes to the winner.
The goal of the game is to meld all 10 cards including the final drawn card in melds by making sets or sequences.
A drawn card must be melded or discarded; it cannot remain in a player's hand.Some melds are called conditions that determine extra points for the player. These depend on the house rules decided beforehand.
The game is usually played by large groups and up to 15 can play at a time, though it is best enjoyed in groups of 6-8 players.