What Is Rummy?
Rummy is one of the most popular card games in the world and the foundation for dozens of other games. The goal is to be the first player to organize all your cards into valid combinations — called melds — and get rid of them. On each turn you draw one card, try to lay down melds, add cards to existing melds, and then discard one card. The first player to empty their hand wins the round.
What You Need
- One standard deck of 52 playing cards (use two decks for 5 or more players)
- Two to six players
- Paper and pen for scoring
Understanding Melds — The Heart of Rummy
A meld is a valid group of cards that you can lay face-up on the table in front of you. There are exactly two types:
- A Set: Three or four cards all of the same rank. The rank is the number or face of the card. Example: the 9 of Spades, 9 of Hearts, and 9 of Clubs make a valid set of three 9s. Suit does not matter — any three or four of the same rank works.
- A Run: Three or more cards all of the same suit arranged in consecutive order. Example: the 3, 4, 5, and 6 of Hearts make a valid run. The cards must all be the same suit AND they must be consecutive — no gaps. Ace can be used as low (A-2-3) or high (Q-K-A) but not both at once (K-A-2 wrapping around is not allowed in standard Rummy).
Setting Up the Game
- Shuffle all 52 cards.
- Deal cards face-down one at a time: deal 10 cards each for 2 players; 7 cards each for 3 or 4 players; 6 cards each for 5 or 6 players.
- Place the remaining cards face-down in the center of the table as the stock pile (the draw pile).
- Flip the top card of the stock pile face-up and set it next to the stock pile. This starts the discard pile.
- Players pick up their cards and fan them out to see them without showing others.
How to Play — Step by Step
The player to the left of the dealer goes first. Play moves clockwise.
- Step 1 — Draw. At the start of every turn, you must draw exactly one card. You have two choices: take the top card from the face-down stock pile (you don’t know what it is until you pick it up), OR take the top card from the face-up discard pile (you can see exactly what it is). Add whichever card you chose to your hand.
- Step 2 — Meld (optional). If you have a valid set or run in your hand, you MAY lay it face-up on the table in front of you. You are not required to meld just because you can — sometimes it is better to wait. You can also lay down multiple melds on the same turn if you have them.
- Step 3 — Lay Off (optional). If there are already melds on the table — yours or other players’ — you may add cards from your hand to them. This is called laying off. For example: if there is a set of three 9s on the table, you can lay off a fourth 9. If there is a run of 3-4-5-6 of Hearts, you can lay off the 2 of Hearts or the 7 of Hearts (adding to either end). You can lay off multiple cards in one turn.
- Step 4 — Discard. At the end of every turn, you MUST discard exactly one card from your hand face-up onto the discard pile. The card you just drew from the discard pile cannot be immediately discarded back — it must stay in your hand at least until your next turn.
Going Out
When a player has no cards left after discarding, they have gone out and the round ends. You must always discard your final card — you cannot go out without discarding. The one exception: if you lay off your last cards onto existing melds, leaving you with exactly one card to discard as your final action.
Going Rummy — A Special Bonus
If you go out in a single turn — meaning you have not laid down or laid off any cards in previous turns and you get rid of your ENTIRE hand in one move — this is called Going Rummy. If you go Rummy, you score DOUBLE points for the round.
Scoring
When a player goes out, all other players count the value of cards still in their hands. These are penalty points added to each player’s score:
- Aces: 1 point each
- Number cards 2 through 10: face value (a 7 costs you 7 points)
- Face cards (Jack, Queen, King): 10 points each
The player who went out scores zero. Everyone else scores the total of their remaining cards. Keep a running total across multiple rounds.
Winning
The first player whose total score reaches 100 points LOSES. The player with the lowest score at that point wins the game. Alternatively, agree before starting that the first player to go out in a set number of rounds wins.
Tips for New Players
- When deciding whether to draw from the discard pile, ask yourself: does this card directly complete a meld? If yes, take it. If it only helps a little, consider drawing from the stock instead — taking from the discard pile reveals to everyone what you’re collecting.
- Lay off on other players’ melds as soon as you can — getting rid of cards reduces the penalty if someone else goes out before you.
- High cards (face cards and Aces) are worth the most penalty points — try to meld or discard them early so they don’t trap you.