Rummy also known as the 13 card game is a popular game across the Indian subcontinent. The game is considered as a brain booster and in order to play the game, players must have good mental skills. Before knowing how to play rummy game and its variants, you should have a strong understanding of rummy basics. Continue reading to know more about the rummy basics to attain mastery in rummy rules.
Indian Rummy Game Basics
It is played generally with 2-6 players with 1 or 2 standard decks of cards
Every pack of cards contains 52 cards that include a set of four suits – Diamond, Clubs, Hearts, and Spades and two printed jokers in addition
Generally, two or three deck of cards are used to play a rummy game within a circle of friends
Rummy Game objective
The main objective of a rummy player is to form sequence and sets (if required) using the 13 cards dealt. For a successful declare, two sequences are a must out of which one must be a pure sequence.
Rummy terminology
Ranks & Suits
There are four different suits in a card deck, including heart, diamond, spade and clubs. The value of the card is called the rank of the card. King, Queen, and Jack are called Face cards. Cards from ranks 2 to 10 are called numbered cards. Ace card can be used as both high and low ranked card.
Joker cards
Joker cards are of two types – wild and printed joker. It is used as a substitute for the missing cards in a sequence or a set. Wild joker is a random card drawn at the beginning of the game. All the suits of that value are also the wildcard joker. For example, if 8♠is the selected card, then 8 of ♦, ♣, and ♥ are all wildcard jokers for that game.
Toss
A random card is dealt to each player at the beginning of the game. The player who gets the highest card starts the game.
Dealing
According to the 13 card Rummy rules, every player in table is 13 cards, and the remaining cards with their face closed forms the closed deck.
Draw and Discard
Each player during their turn has to draw and discard a card. The discarded card forms the open deck.
Sets and Sequences
Sequence – Three or more set of consecutive cards belonging to the same suit is said to be a sequence. For a successful declare, a player should have two sequences at least out of which one should be a pure sequence
Pure sequence – A sequence without a joker eg: A, 2, 3 of spades or A, K, Q, J of hearts
Impure sequence – Sequence built with a joker eg: A ♣, 2 ♣, PJ is an example of impure sequence
Set – Three or more cards of the same rank but different suits forms a set
Buy-in
It is the amount of cash that a player has to pay to play in a cash rummy table.
Points
Numerical cards – Face value for the cards from 2 to 9 of all suits eg: 6 of any suit gives 6 points
Face cards – J,Q, and K each carry 10 points
Jokers (both types) carry 0 points
A player’s maximum score in rummy is 80 which means that’s the maximum points he/she can get in a game.
Declare
After having the sequences and set in hand as per the rummy rules, the player has to submit the left out card to finish the game. This part of the rummy game is called a declaration. The validation system checks your melds and if it passes the validation system, you win the game and prize money that comes with it.
Conclusion
These are the standard rummy rules followed across Indian subcontinent. Master the rules first, keep playing practice games to improve your rummy strategy and big wins would follow very soon. Happy Playing! See you at our tables soon!
