Traditional card games
Rummy
- players
- 2–6
- minutes
- 45
- years
- 8+
In the box
Two 52-card decks + jokers
Box details
- Origin
- Traditional game, with no specific designer or publisher
- Mechanics
- MeldingSet Collection
Where to buy it
Near you and online
In a shop
Within 50 km.
Online
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The basics
With 108 cards, each player receives thirteen or fourteen cards: the aim is to lay everything down in runs and sets before the others. On your turn, draw, lay down your melds once you meet the opening requirement or add to melds on the table, then discard a card. As soon as a player lays down their last card, the others count their cards as penalty points, and at the agreed target, often 500 points, the lowest total wins.
The rules, step by step
Setup
108 cards, 13 or 14 cards each, Open discard pile
- Two 52-card decks plus the jokers, making 108 cards.
- Each player receives thirteen or fourteen cards, depending on the table. The rest forms the stock.
- One card is turned face up to start the discard pile.
How to play
Draw, then discard, Lay down after opening, Add to melds
- On your turn, draw a card, from the stock or the discard pile, then discard a card.
- You may lay down melds in front of you as soon as you meet the opening requirement.
- Once you have opened, you may add to your own melds and to those of the others.
- The round ends as soon as a player gets rid of their last card.
Scoring
Rummy 51: open with 51, Joker in hand 20, Nothing laid: 100 points
- A run: at least three consecutive cards of the same suit. A set: at least three cards of the same rank, in different suits.
- In Rummy 51 (Rami 51), your first meld must total at least 51 points.
- Values: court cards are worth 10, and the Ace 1 when it starts a run before the 2, but 11 when it comes after the King or in a set.
- Cards left in hand count as penalty points. A joker in hand is worth 20.
- A player who has laid nothing down all round takes a flat 100-point penalty.
End of the game
Often 500 points, Lowest total
- The game is played over several rounds, up to an agreed threshold, often 500 points.
- The lowest total wins.
House rules and pitfalls
Gin Rummy is played by two, to 100 points, with gin and undercut bonuses.
- Gin Rummy is played by two, to 100 points, with gin and undercut bonuses.
- Canasta is played in partnerships, with seven-card canastas and a target of 5,000 points.
never played?Aim of the game and full rules11 chapters · about 3 min read
Aim of the game
Lay all your cards on the table in melds: runs (5, 6, 7 of Hearts) and sets (three Queens). On each turn, you draw a card and discard one, improving your hand little by little. The first player to get rid of all their cards ends the round; the others pay for what is left in their hand. Over several rounds, the lowest total wins. What follows describes Rummy 51 (Rami 51), the form most played in France.
Equipment
Two 52-card decks and their jokers, shuffled together. Two to six players.
Melds
- A run: at least three consecutive cards of the same suit: 8, 9, 10 of Clubs. The Ace goes before the 2 (Ace, 2, 3) or after the King (Queen, King, Ace), but never in the middle (King, Ace, 2 is not a run).
- A set (three or four of a kind): three or four cards of the same rank in different suits: the 7 of Hearts, of Spades and of Clubs. Two identical cards (two 7s of Hearts) cannot go in the same set.
- The joker replaces any card in a meld.
Card values
- 2 to 10: face value.
- Jack, Queen, King: 10.
- Ace: 1 before the 2, 11 after the King or in a set.
- The joker is worth the card it replaces in a meld, 20 if it is left in hand.
Preparing a round
- Deal thirteen cards to each player (fourteen at some tables).
- Place the rest face down: this is the stock.
- Turn the top card of the stock face up beside it: it starts the discard pile.
- The player to the dealer's left goes first.
A turn
- Draw a card: from the stock, or the top card of the discard pile.
- Lay down, if you can and want to: new melds, or cards that add to melds already on the table.
- Discard a card, face up. This is compulsory, unless you have just laid down your last card.
Opening: the 51-point rule
The first time a player lays down cards, they open. The melds laid down on that turn must total at least 51 points. Until a player has opened, they cannot lay anything down, nor add to the others' melds. They may only take the card from the discard pile if they open with it on the same turn.
for example
Léa lays down a run of 10, Jack, Queen of Diamonds (30 points) and a set of 7s (21 points): 51. She has opened, and can now add to every meld on the table.
After opening
- You may add your cards to any meld on the table, yours or someone else's: a 9 of Clubs at the end of a 6, 7, 8 of Clubs run.
- You may take back a joker on the table by replacing it with the real card it stood for; you must then play the joker in a meld on the same turn.
End of the round
The round ends as soon as a player has laid down or discarded their last card. They are said to have gone out (faire rami). Every other player counts the cards left in their hand and scores them as a penalty. A player who has not opened all round scores 100 points, whatever they hold. The winner of the round scores 0.
End of the game
Rounds are played until a player goes over an agreed threshold, often 500 points: that player has lost, and the lowest total wins.
Tips for beginners
- Keep cards that can go into several melds: a 7 of Hearts can end up in a run or a set.
- Get rid of isolated court cards quickly: they cost 10 if the round ends.
- Watch what your left-hand neighbour picks up from the discard pile, the next player: they are the one who can take what you throw away: do not give them the card they are waiting for.
- Opening early then lets you empty your hand onto the others' melds.
Going further
Variants · Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Variants
Variant
Rummy 51
First meld: 51 points minimum.
Classic rummy
No minimum for the first meld.
Gin rummy (2 players)
Two-player game to 100 points, with gin (+25) and undercut.
Canasta
In teams, target 5,000 points, natural and mixed canastas.
choose them when you start a game: the scorer adapts
Frequently asked questions
How many points do you need to open in Rummy 51?
Fifty-one points, reached in one go, by laying down one or more melds in the same turn. Until you have opened, you cannot lay anything down or add to the others' melds.
Is the Ace worth 1 or 11?
Both, depending on where it goes: 1 when it starts a run before the 2, 11 when it comes after the King or in a set. It never goes round the corner: King-Ace-2 is not a run.
What is a joker left in hand worth?
Twenty penalty points. It is the most expensive card in the game, and the reason people hesitate to keep it "just in case".
What happens if you have laid nothing down all round?
A flat 100-point penalty, on top of or instead of counting your cards, depending on the table. Laying down a modest meld is often better than waiting for the perfect one.
Can you take several cards from the discard pile?
No, only the top one, and only when drawing. Tables that allow digging further into the discard pile are playing a variant, not Rummy.
Can you take back a joker already on the table?
At most tables, yes: once you have opened, you may replace a joker on the table — your own or someone else's — with the exact card it stands for, and play it straight away in another meld.