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Rummy

Rummy is a generic term for card games of the same family as gin rummy. One can speak of the rummy family of games; to refer to rummy is probably to mean gin rummy, but strictly there is no one rummy game. It is perhaps more satisfactory to describe these as matching card games. The family extends to include Canasta, for example. David Parlett (The Penguin Book of Card Games, 1978) describes the Mexican game of Conquian as being ancestral to all rummy games.

General features of Rummy-style games

This section describes the common features of the Rummy-style games, including Gin, Canasta, Mah Jong, and games called Rummy.

Melds

A meld consists of at least three cards, and there are two types of melds. The first type contains cards that are all of the same rank. The second type consists of consecutive cards of the same suit. This is an almost universal pattern, although there exists minor variations such as allowing only melds of the first type or requiring in melds of the first type that the cards are all of the same suit or that the cards are all of a different suit. In some games it is required that the melds of the second type contain at least four cards. Some games also feature wild cards, which can be used to represent any card in a meld. The number of wild cards in a meld may be restricted.

Deal

A fairly large number of cards is used. This varies from one standard deck upwards, there are for example games that use five standard decks plus some jokers shuffled together.

Each player is dealt a certain number of cards, not exhausting the entire deck. The rest of the deck is placed face down to form the stock. There is also a face-up pile called the discard pile, which may be initially empty, or it can contain one card, which is turned from the stock.

The Play

In each turn, a player may either take the top card of the stock, or some portion of the discard pile. (Depending on the game, for example the entire pile, or only the top card.) There may be further requirements that restrict taking cards from the pile, for example, you may have to meld the top card of the pile in order to take it.

After you take card(s), you may, depending on the game, make melds and add cards into existing melds by placing the cards that form a meld face-up on the table. In some games, the distinction between your own melds and other players' melds is made, and you may be allowed to add cards only into your own melds. Some games do not make this distiction. Some games allow melding only at the end of the hand.

You end your turn by placing a card from your hand on the top of the discard pile, and the turn passes to the next player. The next player is usually the the one in your left, but some games allow anyone steal a turn if they can make certain types of melds with the top card of the discard pile.

Scoring

When someone melds all his/her cards (except, possibly, for one, which is thrown into the discard pile), the hand ends and the scores are calculated. In some games everyone can make melds at this phase, and some games allow a player to end a hand with a few unmatched cards in his/her hand.

You typically get positive points for your melds, and/or negative points for non-melded cards in your hand. In some games large bonuses are given for special, particularly difficult melds. Also being the person who melded all his/her cards is usually awarded, depending on the game this award may be rather small compared to other scoring, or it can be the deciding factor of the game.

Basic Rummy

There are many variations of the card game Rummy. They all share a common set of features found in the basic game. A standard deck of 52 cards is used. The cards rank from A (low) to K (high). Rummy can be played to a certain score, or to a fixed number of deals.

The Shuffle and Deal

Each player draws a card. The player with the lowest card deals first. The deal then proceeds clockwise. The player on the dealer's right cuts (this is optional).

In two player rummy, each player gets ten (10) cards. Starting with the player to the dealer's left, cards are dealt clockwise, face down, one at a time. The dealer then puts the rest of the deck, face down, between the players. This forms the stock. A single card is then drawn and placed face up next to the stock. This is called the discard pile.

In three or four player games, seven (7) cards are dealt to each player. Five or six players may also play, in which case each player receives six (6) cards.

The Play

Play begins with the player on the dealer's left and proceeds clockwise. Each player draws a card from the stock or the discard pile. The player may then meld or lay off, which are both optional, before discarding.

Melding

If a player has three or more cards of the same suit in a sequence (called a sequence or a run), they may meld by laying these cards, face up, in front of them. Likewise, if they have at least three of the same value, they may meld a group (also called a set or a book). Melding is optional. A player may choose, for reasons of strategy, not to meld on a particular turn. The most important reason is to be able to declare "Rummy" later in the game.

Laying off

A player may also choose to "lay off" some cards on an existing meld. This means that if a player can add to a sequence or a group that is in front of them or any of the other players, they may do so. For example: if another player had a sequence consisting of 3, 4, and 5 of hearts in front of them, the player would be able to add any of the following: 2 of hearts, ace and 2 of hearts, 6 of hearts, and so on, thereby continuing the sequence. Also if a player has 3 of a kind, one of which continues another sequence on the field then another player may also continue off of that card. For example: if a player had a 3, 4, and 5 of hearts and another player had a three of a kind with 6, then another player may continue the sequence off of the player with 6.

Discarding

Finally, after any melds or lay offs, the player must discard a single card to the discard pile, face up. The only condition is that it not be the card that they drew from the discard pile on the same turn. They may, however, return it on the next turn. In addition, if they drew from the stock instead of the discard pile, they are allowed to return that card in the same turn. In this way, the discard pile changes every turn.

The End of the Stock

If, while playing, the stock runs out, the next player may choose to draw from the discard pile or to turn the discard pile over to form a new stock. The discard pile is not shuffled in the process. After forming the new stock, the top card is drawn to form the new discard pile, just like after the deal.

Going Out

When a player has gotten rid of all of their cards, they win the hand. There are two variations. Either the player must discard the last remaining card in their hand on the last turn, or they need not. Playing with this rule makes ending a hand slightly more difficult.

For example, if a player had the 7 and 9 of diamonds, and they drew the 8 of diamonds (forming a sequence), then they would not be able to go out if playing with the discard rule variation (because they would not have enough cards to meld as a sequence if they had to keep one for the discard).

Declaring Rummy

If a player is able to meld all of their cards at once, they may say "Rummy" on their turn and go out. To declare Rummy, a player must not have melded or laid off any cards prior during the hand. If playing with the discard rule, they must also discard after melding. Playing for Rummy is more risky, but it carries the reward of double the score.

Scoring

After a player goes out, the hand ends, and the players count up their cards. Any cards left in each player's hand are counted up and added to the winner's score. Aces count as one, face cards count as 10, and the rest have their face value. If a player has declared Rummy, then this score is doubled.

Variations

As for variations to the basic game, the most important is whether or not a player must discard on going out.

Strategy

Watching which cards are discarded is important to knowing what kind of hand your opponent may have. As cards are melded, the picture becomes clearer. A player may choose not to discard a card that might be advantageous to their opponent. Likewise, a player may decide to discard something that would be misleading to how their opponent might view their hand.

If a player is dealt a good hand, they may consider going for Rummy. This is risky, however. If another player is able to go out first, then the player trying for Rummy will add a punishing lead to the winner's score.

Variants of Rummy

There are a large number of games derived from Rummy--the most popular being Gin Rummy.

• • Gin rummy
• • Contract rummy
• • Liverpool Rummy
• • Robbers' rummy
• • Dummy rummy
• • Rumino
• • Rummikub

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