How to Play the 13 Card Rummy Game?

If you are interested in poker, you must have played 13 card rummy at least once in a lifetime as it is the most popular type of poker game in India. Most family gatherings, weddings, and even kitty parties are incomplete without a rummy game.

Two to six players play this 13 card rummy. Usually, one or two standard decks of cards are being used with one Joker per deck. The gameplay is simple and straightforward, where each of the players has to arrange their 13 cards in sequences or sets.

Although the game is quite popular, the origin of rummy remains uncertain to this date. However, the craze for the game keeps on growing day by day. Even the online version of rummy has taken the world by storm.

The winner of the 13 card rummy depends on the skill, and the game can be mastered with practice.

Here are a few things that you should know about playing 13 cards rummy:

Terminologies used in 13 Cards Rummy

Before we start, it is important to understand the important terminologies which are used in 13 cards rummy, like:

a) Dealing: At the start of the game, 13 cards are being distributed to each of the players at the table, one at a time. It is known as dealing.

b) Joker: The joker plays an important role in the 13 card rummy game. It is used as a substitute for missing cards in a sequence or set. There are also two types of Jokers: printed and wild card jokers.

c) Closed Deck: After dealing, the remaining cards are placed face down on the table to form a closed pile.

d) Open Deck: The players are discarding the cards from the open deck, and when the game begins, the top card from the closed deck is picked and kept face up on the table in order to form the open deck. Players also have an option to pick this card.

e) Deadwood: The ungrouped cards or the cards which are not a part of any combination are called deadwood.

f) Sequence: A poker sequence is basically a combination of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit. There are two types of sequences; pure and impure. You must also have at least two sequences in order to win a rummy game.

g) Set: A set consists of three or four cards of the same rank but different suits. Jokers can be used in a set.

h) Drop: A player can easily quit a game by using the “Drop” button. It can be a savior, especially when you have bad cards.

i) Melding: Melding is nothing but arranging cards in sequences.

How to Play

The gameplay of a 13 card rummy game is very simple and straightforward. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to play this amazing game.

a) Sorting: Arrange the cards in your hands automatically by using the “Sort” button. This is also an important step that will also help you to identify potential combinations.

b) Drawing and Discarding: you also need to draw and discard cards in order to create sets and sequences. You can pick the card from the closed deck on the table. Then you need to discard a card from your hand by dragging the card to the open deck.

c) Declaration: After creating the required combinations, you can finish the game just by discarding one of the cards to the “Finish Slot” and declare your hands for the opponents.

After the cards are declared, the system will automatically check the combinations created. A valid declaration consists of at least two sequences, and all the cards must be arranged in those sequences:

Pure sequence: It consists of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit which is mandatory for winning a rummy game.

Impure sequence: A Joker is used in order to replace any other card in the sequence.