Rummy is a popular card game played with a standard deck of 52 cards. The objective of the game is to form sets (three or four cards of the same rank) and runs (three or more consecutive cards of the same suit) in your hand.
Here’s a basic overview of how Rummy is played:
- Setup: Shuffle the deck and deal a set number of cards to each player. The number of cards dealt depends on the variation being played and the number of players involved.
- Gameplay:
- Players take turns in clockwise order.
- On your turn, you can either draw a card from the draw pile or take the top card from the discard pile.
- After drawing a card, you must discard a card from your hand. The discarded card is placed face-up on the discard pile.
- You can also lay down sets and runs from your hand during your turn. This is called “melding.” Once you have met the requirement for a valid meld, you can place the cards face-up on the table in front of you.
- Winning:
- The game can end in one of two ways:
- Going “out” by melding all of your cards. This can be done by laying down all your cards in valid sets and runs, or by adding your last card to an existing meld on the table.
- If a player can’t play any cards and exhausts the draw pile, the game ends. In this case, the player with the fewest points in their hand wins the game.
- Scoring:
- If playing for points, the winner scores points based on the value of the cards left in the opponents’ hands. Face cards are usually worth 10 points each, and numbered cards are worth their face value. Aces are typically worth 1 point.
- Some variations may also include bonuses for going out first or penalties for certain situations.
- Continuation:
- If players agree before the game, additional rounds can be played until a certain point threshold or number of rounds is reached.
Remember, there are many variations of Rummy, each with its own rules and nuances. It’s always a good idea to agree on the rules and scoring system before starting the game.
