- + Kalooki Rummy Games
Basic Rules
Most games of Rummy require there to be at least two players, with many variants allowing up to four players as well. All games use at least one traditional deck of fifty-two cards, though tiles can be used for many versions as well.
Players are dealt a set number of cards, according to the rules of the Rummy variation, and the general goal is for the players to dispose of all of their cards through a series of discards and "melds".
These discards and melds are done on each player's turn, which consists of drawing a single card from the discard pile or the deck, and then placing a card from their hand face up on the discard pile to end their turn.
During a player's turn they can also lay down their melds, which can be in the form of "sets" or "runs".
- A set is three or more cards of the same rank. For example, a player with the four of hearts, spades and diamonds could meld this set during their turn.
- A run is a sequence of three or more cards that are all in the same suit and in consecutive order. For instance, a player could meld the six, seven, eight and nine of hearts.
Following this format allows for all of the cards in the deck to be used in a competitive manner and in the most effective way. For instance, by laying down cards in the discard pile the players are allowing cards to circulate and possibly complete other player's melds.
Because rules change from game to game, the players follow a different scoring method for each variation of Rummy. Usually, the winner of a ring game is the first player to dispose of all of the cards in their hand. The winner of a full tournament, however is the one to win the most points or is the final player remaining below the "target" or "elimination" score after a series of ring games have been played.
