• + Kalooki Rummy Games
  • - Introduction
  • - Basic Rules
  • - Getting Started
  • + Gin Rummy
    • - Demo
    • - Game Preview
    • - Rules
    • - Strategy Tips
  • + Oklahoma Gin
    • - Demo
    • - Game Preview
    • - Rules
    • - Strategy Tips
  • + Kalooki 51
    • - Demo
    • - Game Preview
    • - Rules
    • - Strategy Tips
  • + Kalooki 40
    • - Demo
    • - Game Preview
    • - Rules
    • - Strategy Tips
  • + Traditional Rummy
    • - Demo
    • - Game Preview
    • - Rules
    • - Strategy Tips

Rules



Basic Rules

Players of Kalooki 40 must arrange as many of their cards into "runs" and "sets", which are known as "melds".

• 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.
• A set is simply 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.

Kalooki 40 permits players to the use the Jokers as wild cards which means that a set or run can be completed by the Joker.

A player can win by Going Kalooki or Going Out, but the latter is the best way to win the game AND avoid penalty points.

Kalooki 40 requires the use of two standard decks of 52 cards, including the Jokers. Numeric cards are given their points by face value. For example, the three of clubs is worth three points. The face cards are all worth ten points, and the Ace cards are worth eleven points. A Joker is worth 15 points during play and when it remains in the hand at the end of the ring or game.

How to Play a Game of Kalooki 40

To begin a game of Kalooki 40 the dealer must give each player 13 cards. They must then place the remainder of the deck, face down in the center of the table. They will then turn the top card over and lay it on the table, next to the deck. This creates the stock pile (the deck) and the discard pile (the upward facing card).

Whenever the players work their way through the entire stock pile, the dealer will set aside the card most recently placed in the discard pile, shuffle the remaining cards, and then lay them face down as a new stock pile.

All players take a turn, which involves three distinct steps:

• First, they must draw a single card from either the stock pile or the discard pile; and
• If a card was taken from the discard pile the player is obliged to lay down one or more melds with a value of at least 40 points if this is the first meld to be placed on the table by that particular player; finally
• They will discard a single card into the discard pile.

No player is obligated to form new melds during their turn, but steps one and three are an absolute necessity. Many experienced Kalooki 40 players actually hold their melds in their hand, rather than laying them down, in order to use them at a strategic point in the game. This prevents the other players from guessing right away which cards the player might be holding.

How to Build Melds

One very strict rule of the game is that a player cannot lay down their first meld until it has a value of 40 or more. Once this occurs, the player is allowed to use their own melds and those of the other players to continually discard cards throughout the remainder of the game. This is known as "Building".

Building has some very specific rules and guidelines, however, and these are:

• A player may add the fourth missing suit to a three card set, if there is no Joker in the set (no repeated suits are permitted);
• Aces have a value of 11 points and are only permitted to be used in what are known as "high runs" which means they must follow a Queen and King to be used in a meld;
• A Joker can be used in any meld in place of the natural card that would build it;
• A player can add the appropriate cards to either end of a run;
• Jokers can be "released" from three card sets in exchange for the two cards of the missing suit, but it must be used elsewhere at the same time;
• A set becomes "closed" should a player add only a single missing suit to a set three which contains the Joker;
• A player can release a Joker from a three card set that contains two Jokers, but this requires the building cards to be two of the missing suits;
• When a run contains the Joker, a player holding the card that it is representing can replace the Joker with this card and use it elsewhere on the table; and
• Melds cannot be rearranged, only built or increased.

The game proceeds in this way until any player is capable of bringing the game to its conclusion, which is done in only one of two ways:

• Going Out- this occurs when a player is able to dispose of all cards at a single time without having to use any building; or
• Going Kalooki- when a player takes their final card from the stock or discard pile and is able to meld all but a single card. This will then go into the discard pile. When a player Goes Kalooki, the remaining players cannot meld any more cards, and must tally their score based on their hand and existing melds.

Scoring the Game and Determining the Winner

All games of Kalooki 40 are scored based on the manner in which the winner completed the hand:

• Whenever a game is taken by Going Out it will automatically require all opponents to receive the sum of their remaining cards; or
• Should the game be taken by Going Kalooki it will require all of the opponents to receive the sum of their remaining cards plus a 25 point penalty.

Payout Table

The "Prize Pool" of the game is broken down in the following manner:  winners always receive 75% of the value and the remaining 25% is divided between the opponents. Should any player finish the game with more than 100 points less than the winner, however, they do not get a share of the pool.