Rummy is a family of card games, which all share some basic rules, whilst differing from each other in their particulars. A direct analogy can be made to poker, in that there are many different types of poker, all of which share the same set of basic rules, but all of which have distinct variations. Rummy is a skill based game, although like most card games it does involve a certain amount of luck due to the randomisation of the cards. To play consistently well over a period of time, it is certainly necessary to have a good grasp of the strategy. The ability to observe and remember which cards have been revealed and which cards are still hidden is an important skill to master. Overall, although the basics of Rummy can be learnt very quickly and it can be played recreationally without much strategy, to become a master Rummy player takes a lot of experience, a watchful eye and an excellent memory.
Probably the best know Rummy variant is Gin Rummy, but there are many other Rummy games including Traditional Rummy, Oklahoma Rummy and Kaluki. Some of the elements that change between the different variants include the number of packs of cards used in the deck, whether the joker cards are used as wildcards, the number of cards initially dealt to each player, as well as when the game ends and how the scores are calculated.
In order to learn Rummy games one first has to learn the basic rules that are common to all Rummy variants, then learning all the other variants becomes easy.
Shuffling and Cutting
Any player may shuffle the cards but it is the dealer’s responsibility to shuffle the cards last and offer the deck to the player to their left to be cut. If that player chooses to cut the deck they must do it so at least 4 cards are left in both portions of the deck.
Rotation and Dealing
The gameplay and the deal both rotate clockwise (to the left). The dealer deals the cards one at a time, face-down, beginning with the player on their left. The number of cards received by each player depends on the variant being played. The dealer continues to deal until the correct number of cards has been reached. The dealer then places the remainder of the deck face-down in the centre of the table. This pile is called the stock. The dealer then removes the top card from the stock and places it face-up next to the stock in the centre of the table. This card is called the upcard and is the start of the discard pile.
Play
The first player to act is always the one to the left of the dealer. Each player’s turn begins with a draw and ends with a discard. The player draws from either the top of the discard pile (on the first turn this is the upcard), or the top of the stock. At the end of their turn the player discards a card placing it on the discard pile. During their turn it is the aim of the player to create melds. Melds are runs or sets of three or more cards. A run is three or more cards of the same suit in order, for example the 3, 4 and 5 of Hearts. A set is three or more cards of the same rank, for example three Kings.
How the game ends and how the scores are calculated vary between the different versions of Rummy. Generally, the aim is to meld or discard all your cards before any other player, leaving your opponent(s) with penalty points for the cards they still hold. The scores are often based on the value of the cards each player is left with when the game ends. Thus, if a player is left with unmelded high cards, they will receive a high penalty. In games like this, one strategy to employ is to discard all the high cards in your hand that do not make a meld as soon as possible, so as not to be left with high cards when the game ends. Alternatively, if your opponent(s) are discarding high cards then you decide to concentrate on collecting high cards as you will be able to pick them up from the discard pile to easily make melds using them. It is certainly important to try to work out what cards your opponent(s) have as you do not want to be presenting them with the cards they need to make meld on the discard pile.
