What is Rummy?
Rummy is the most popular card game played in the country. In this card game, players must improve the hand to win the game- they must arrange cards in the order of ranks in the form of sequences and sets. The game owns a historical culture that runs for centuries. Not just in India, the game is popular and commonly played across different parts of the world. People are playing the game for hours every day.
Terminologies of Rummy
Joker- There is a face (printed) joker already in the deck of cards. Apart from this card, a card at random chose at the very beginning of every game along with this card all the other cards with the same face value from the four suites can be used as joker cards. For example, if 4 of Spade is the card picked from the deck- the 4 of Heart, Diamond, and Club are also jokers for that game.
Pure Sequence- It is a scenario of cards arranged in a sequence of the number values they hold. It can have a minimum of 3 cards. For example, 3, 4, and 5 of Heart form a pure sequence.
Impure Sequence- It is a scenario when a joker card(s) are used to make a sequence. The joker card turns out to the binding card for segmented cards. For example, if 5 is the Joker in the game, a sequence like 9 and 10 of diamond along with 5 from any suit is an impure sequence.
Types of Rummy
There are many types of rummy games, out of which there are only a few in practices today. Based on the game you choose to play, the number of card deck(s) is chose in every type.
1. 10 Card Rummy: The 10 card rummy game is played between 2 to 6 players. When it just two players, one deck of cards is enough to play the game, whereas, when there are more than three players, then two deck of cards is a must for a game. The rules of the 10 card rummy are the same as the traditional rummy game. A toss is made to choose the player starting the game. Every player has their turn to pick cards either from the open or closed deck and simultaneously to discard cards. Owning a pure sequence in hand is the first condition to make a submit. Other than the pure sequence, all other cards in hand must be in the form of sets or sequences to make a valid submit. Incase a player makes a wrong submit, he/ she will get 60 points in hand, and the game continues from the same point until the actual winner emerges. The loser will get the sum of all the points of the unmatched cards. When a player drops on the first turn, they lose 15 points, and when they drop in the middle of the game, then lose the match by 30 points. The 10 card rummy is shortest format of rummy games.
2. 13 Card Rummy: The 13 card format is the one predominantly played in today’s online rummy society. It is the simplest and easiest form of playing Rummy. The game has so many exciting moments to rejoice. The game needs two deck of cards and played with a minimum of 2 players and a maximum of 6 players. A player gets to play on successive turns to pick and discards to make a valid declaration. In a 13 card rummy game, one must own a pure sequence and another sequence, either pure or impure, as these are the basic qualifications for a player to win a game. The other cards can be in the form of sequences and sets. If a player makes a wrong submit, then they get 80 points in hand. The maximum points a player can lose in a game is 80. A player loses 20 points if they drop out from the game at the beginning of the game, and they lose 40 points when they drop out in the middle of the game.
3. 21 card rummy: The 21 card rummy is the form of rummy played with 2 to 6 players using three-deck of cards. The deck used in 21 card rummy has three printed jokers, so every deck used has 55 cards in total. It is also called Marriage Rummy.
There are certain new terminologies you must know about:
Upper Joker: The card with one rank more than the actual joker card is called Upper Joker. Example: If 7 of Diamond is the Joker, then 8 of Diamond is the upper Joker.
Lower Joker: The card with one rank less than the actual Joker picked is called Lower Joker. Example: If 7 of Diamond is the Joker then 6 of Diamond is the Lower Joker.
Upper and Lower Jokers can also be used to complete a sequence or a set. There are special cases to be discussed
If Ace of Heart is the Joker for the game, then 2 of Heart is the upper Joker, and King of Heart is the Lower Joker- However, the sequence of K-A-2 is not a valid one.
If the printed Joker itself turns to be the Joker then all the Aces in the suit turns to be joker cards. Then King of Spade will be the lower Joker, and 2 of Spade will be the upper Joker.
Tunnela or London: A group of 3 cards of the same face value and the same suit is called Tunnela or London in 21 card rummy. Example: 7 hearts, 7 hearts, and 7 hearts. A group of 3 printed jokers together makes it a valid one. But a group of 2 identical cards with a Joker doesn’t make a Tunnela.
Dublee: When two cards of the same value from the same suit are paired, it is called Dublee. For example, 10 of Diamond and another 10 of Diamond makes a Dublee. A pair of two printed joker cards makes a Dublee. One card and a joker card is not a valid Dublee. A joker card cannot be used to make a Dublee, but when it is used as a regular card, then it is called a valid Dublee.
Value Cards: The cards of the same suit that are immediately before and after the joker card selected for the game along with the wild card are called Value cards. For example: If 4 of Heart is the Joker for the game, then 3 of Heart, 4 of Heart, and 5 of Heart are the value cards. So the joker card, upper Joker, and lower joker cards are the value cards of the game.
There are certain scenarios in declaring a Show:
• A player must have at least three pure sequences and the rest of cards in the form of sets and sequences to declare. Tunnela is also a pure sequence in the 21 card rummy.
• A player must show at least 3 Tunnelas- whereas the other cards can be in any order, or they need not be grouped, or sometimes they can even be combined to a single group.
• A player can declare with at least 8 Dublees- whereas the rest of cards need not be in any order. Every pair of Dublee must be submitted as individual groups while declaring.
• A player can declare with a single group of 8 joker cards- whereas the rest of the cards need not be in any specific order. All the jokers must be clubbed into a single group during declaration.
4. 27 Card Rummy: The 27 card Rummy game can be played with 2 to 5 players with 3 decks of 53 cards each. It is played only with points rummy variants. The terms in this format of rummy gaming are different from the rest.
• Upper Joker: If 10 of Spade is the Joker for the game, then J of Spade is the 1 up Joker and Q is the 2 up Joker.
• Lower Joker: If 10 of Spade is the Joker for the game, then 9 of Spade is the 1 down joker, and 8 is the 2 down joker.
In case a printed joker is the Joker for the game, then all the Aces from different suites, K of Spade and Q of Spade are the Lower jokers, and 2 of Spade and 3 of Spade are upper jokers.
• The combination of 2 lower jokers and 2 upper jokers and a joker card from the same suit is called marriage or jackpot.
• Tunnela or London and Dublee are the same as that in the 21 card rummy games.
• Value Cards: The 2 up and 2 down jokers of the same suit as that of the wild card joker along with the same card are called value cards. For example: If 10 of Spade is the Joker for the game, then 8, 9, 10, J, Q of Spade are the value cards in a game.
Scenarios in declaring a Show:
• A player must have at least four pure sequences and the rest of cards in the form of sets and sequences to declare. Tunnela is also a pure sequence in the 29 card rummy.
• A player must show at least 4 Tunnelas- whereas the other cards can be in any order, or they need not be grouped, or sometimes they can even be combined to a single group.
• A player can declare with at least 10 Dublees- whereas the rest of cards need not be arranged in any order. Every pair of Dublee must be submitted as individual groups while declaring.
• A player can declare with a single group of 10 joker cards- whereas the rest of the cards need not be arranged in any specific order. All the jokers must be clubbed into a single group during declaration.