How to Play Rummy

Rummy is the grandparent of a whole family of card games, and the plain version is still one of the best. It is easy to teach, quick to play and just tricky enough to keep you thinking. This page covers basic Rummy, which some people call Straight Rummy to tell it apart from its many relatives. The rules below are exactly the ones our free online Rummy game uses, with the house rules you can change marked along the way.

What You Need

• Two to four players. Two is the classic game; with three or four it gets livelier.
• One standard deck of 52 cards, with the jokers taken out.
• Paper and pencil to keep score.

The Object of the Game

You are trying to be the first player to get rid of every card in your hand. You do that by putting cards on the table in groups called melds, by adding cards to melds already there, and by throwing one card away at the end of each turn. When someone runs out of cards, the hand is over, and the winner scores points for the cards everyone else is still holding.

The Deal

Cut for the first deal; after that the deal passes to the left each hand. Shuffle and deal the cards one at a time, face down:

• Two players: 10 cards each.
• Three or four players: 7 cards each.

Put the rest of the deck face down in the middle. This is the stock. Turn its top card face up beside it to start the discard pile. The player to the dealer's left goes first, and play moves to the left.

Melds: Sets and Runs

There are two kinds of meld, and every meld needs at least three cards.

Sets

A set is three or four cards of the same rank: 8♠ 8♥ 8♦, or all four Queens. Since there is only one deck, a set can never have more than four cards.

Runs

A run is three or more cards in a row, all of the same suit: 5♥ 6♥ 7♥, or 9♣ 10♣ J♣ Q♣. Mixed suits don't count, so 5♥ 6♠ 7♥ is not a run. A run can be as long as you like.

Where does the Ace go?

In the standard game the Ace is low. It sits below the 2, so A♦ 2♦ 3♦ is a run, but Q♦ K♦ A♦ is not, and a run never wraps around the corner (K-A-2). Many families play Aces high or at either end instead; you can pick the one you grew up with in Settings, and the variations page explains the choices.

Your Turn, Step by Step

1. Draw one card

Take either the top card of the stock (you don't know what you'll get) or the top card of the discard pile (everyone can see what you took). Only the top discard may be taken, never one further down.

2. Lay down melds, if you want to

If you hold a set or a run, you may lay it face up on the table in front of you. You can lay down as many melds as you have, or none at all. Nobody is forced to meld; sometimes it pays to wait, as the strategy guide explains.

3. Lay off, if you can

Laying off means adding a card from your hand to a meld that is already on the table, anyone's meld, not just your own. You can add the fourth 8 to a set of three 8s, or put the 4♥ or the 8♥ on the ends of a 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ run. You can lay off several cards in one turn, and you don't need to have melded yourself first.

4. Discard one card

Finish your turn by placing one card face up on top of the discard pile. There is one restriction: if you took the top discard at the start of this turn, you may not throw that same card back. (The only time you can is when it is the last card left in your hand.)

A Worked Example

Say you are playing two-handed and hold: 3♣, 5♥, 6♥, 7♥, 9♠, 9♦, J♣, Q♠, K♦, 2♠. The discard pile shows the 9♥.

1. Draw. The 9♥ makes a set with your 9♠ and 9♦, so you take it from the discard pile instead of drawing blind.
2. Meld. You lay down the run 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ and the set 9♠ 9♥ 9♦. Six cards gone.
3. Lay off. Your opponent already has the run 10♦ J♦ Q♦ on the table. Your K♦ fits on the end, so you lay it off there.
4. Discard. You hold 3♣, J♣, Q♠ and 2♠. You can't throw the 9♥ (it's on the table anyway), so you throw the Q♠, your highest loose card.

You end the turn with just three cards. If your opponent went out right now, you would give away only 3 + 10 + 2 = 15 points.

Going Out

The moment a player gets rid of their last card, the hand ends. You can go out by melding or laying off your last cards, or by discarding the last one. Some families insist the very last card must be a discard; that is a house rule you can switch on in Settings (see going out).

When the Stock Runs Out

If the stock is empty when a player needs to draw, take the discard pile, leave its top card where it is, turn the rest over without shuffling, and that becomes the new stock. Play then carries on as normal.

It is rare, but a hand can drag on with nobody able to go out. Our game turns the discard pile over at most three times; if the stock runs out a fourth time, the hand is called off and nobody scores.

Scoring

When someone goes out, every other player adds up the cards still in their hand, and the winner scores the total. Cards that were melded or laid off don't count for anyone.

Scoring example

You go out. Your opponent is left holding K♣, 8♦, 8♠ and A♥. That is 10 + 8 + 8 + 1 = 27 points for you. If you had gone out in one turn without melding before, it would be 54.

With three or four players, the winner scores the cards left in all the other hands added together, so it pays to go out while everyone else is still holding plenty.

Winning the Game

Keep playing hands and adding up the scores. The first player to reach 100 points wins. For a longer evening, play to 250 or 500; for a quick game, let a single hand decide it. All four are offered in Settings (see game length).

Common Questions at the Table

Can I lay off on my opponent's melds?

Yes. Any meld on the table is open to everyone. This is what makes basic Rummy different from Gin.

Can a card be moved from one meld to another?

No. Once a card is on the table it stays where it was put.

Can I take the whole discard pile?

Not in basic Rummy: only the top card. Taking deeper cards is a feature of Rummy 500, a cousin of this game.

Do I have to meld when I can?

No. Melding is always your choice. Just remember the cards in your hand count against you if someone else goes out first.

What if I only have one card left and I just drew a card I can't use?

Discard one of the two and keep going. If neither can be melded or laid off, you will have one card again and hope for better luck next turn.

How Our Online Game Helps

The game keeps your hand sorted by suit and groups any melds you already hold, labelled so you can read them at a glance. A Lay Down button appears whenever you have a meld, and when you tap a single card, every meld on the table it fits is outlined. The status box always says whose turn it is and what to do next, and Hint suggests a sensible move with a reason. If you enjoy this game, try its cousins Gin Rummy and Canasta.