Rummy, also called Rum, is a card game for two to six players. Make sets and runs, and be the first to empty your hand.
It's sometimes called Basic Rummy or Straight Rummy. It's the parent of a whole family of games, Gin Rummy among them.
At a glance
- Players: 2 to 6. It plays well with 2 to 4.
- Deck: One standard 52-card deck, no jokers
- Time: 30 to 60 minutes for a game
- Goal: Empty your hand first, and be first to the target score
The cards above are from The Alpine Edition.
Setup
Deal one card at a time, clockwise from the dealer's left. How many depends on the number of players.
| Players | Cards each |
|---|---|
| 2 | 10 |
| 3 or 4 | 7 |
| 5 or 6 | 6 |
Put the rest face down as the stock. Turn its top card face up beside it to start the discard pile.
Aces are low, and kings are high.
How to play
The player on the dealer's left goes first. Play goes clockwise.
On your turn, draw one card. Take the top card of the stock, or the top card of the discard pile.
Then you may lay down melds, face up in front of you. There are two kinds:
- Sets. Three or four cards of the same rank, like three 7s.
- Runs. Three or more cards in a row, all one suit. The 4, 5 and 6 of clubs make one.
An ace can start a run, as in ace, 2, 3. It can't follow a king.
End your turn by discarding one card face up. If you took the top discard, you can't throw it straight back.
Laying off
On your turn, you may also add cards to any meld on the table. This is called laying off.
A fourth 7 goes on a set of 7s. The 3 or the 7 of clubs goes on a run of 4, 5, 6.
You can lay off on anyone's melds, not just your own.
Going out
The first player to get rid of every card goes out, and the hand ends.
You can go out by melding or laying off your last cards. Or you can discard your last one.
Laying down your whole hand in one turn, with no melds before, is going rummy. It doubles your score for the hand.
If the stock runs out, turn the discard pile over to make a new stock. Don't shuffle it.
Scoring
| Card left in a hand | Points |
|---|---|
| King, queen or jack | 10 |
| 10 down to 2 | Face value |
| Ace | 1 |
The player who went out scores the cards left in everyone else's hands. Melds on the table don't count.
Say your opponent is left holding a king, a 6 and an ace. You score 17 for the hand.
How to win
Keep a running score, and deal again until someone reaches the target. The first player to reach it wins.
With two players, play to 100. With three, play to 150. With four or more, play to 200.
Tips
- Watch the discard pile. It shows what the others are collecting.
- Hold your melds back when you can. Going rummy doubles your score.
- Don't keep high cards too long. A king stuck in your hand costs 10.
- Lay off whenever you can. Every card you shed is one fewer to count against you.
- Late in a hand, keep low cards. They cost little if someone goes out.
Variations
- Discard to go out. Many players say your last card must be a discard. You can't go out by melding it.
- Aces high or low. An ace can also follow a king, as in queen, king, ace. Runs still can't wrap around. An ace left in your hand then counts 11.
- Penalty scoring. Each player loses the value of the cards left in their own hand. When someone reaches 100, the lowest total wins.
- Jokers. Add both jokers as wild cards. A joker can stand in for any card in a meld. One left in your hand costs 15.
- Two decks. For five to seven players, shuffle two decks together and deal 10 each.
- 500 Rum. Every meld you lay down scores for you. Cards left in your hand count against you. The first to 500 wins.
- Gin Rummy. A game for two, with melds kept hidden until someone knocks. See How to Play Gin Rummy.
Where these rules come from
These rules follow cardgames.io's Rummy, checked against Wikipedia's Rummy article. Cardgames.io sets the target scores and lets you go out without a discard. The unshuffled new stock, the jokers and the two-deck game follow Wikipedia. The deal for five or six follows PlayingCardDecks.com, as does 500 Rum.
Common questions
How many cards do you deal in Rummy?
Ten each for two players. Three or four players get 7 each, and five or six get 6.
Can you lay off on another player's meld?
Yes. Any meld on the table can take a card that fits it.
Do you have to discard to go out?
Not in these rules. You can go out by melding or laying off. Many players insist on a final discard. See Variations.
Is an ace high or low in Rummy?
Low. Ace, 2, 3 is a run. Queen, king, ace is not, unless you play aces high.
Can a run go around the corner, like king, ace, 2?
No. A run can't wrap around, even with aces high.
What is going rummy?
Laying down your whole hand in one turn, with nothing melded before. It doubles your score.
What if the stock runs out?
Turn the discard pile over, without shuffling, to make a new stock.
How is Rummy different from Gin Rummy?
In Rummy, melds go on the table as you make them. Anyone can lay off on them. Gin Rummy is for two. Melds stay hidden until someone knocks.
More games
Gin Rummy is the two-player cousin, with knocking. Hearts is a trick-taking game for four. Six-Card Golf is a draw-and-discard game for two to four.
Cheat sheet
Download the Rummy cheat sheet, a one-page PDF to print.