Indian Rummy

Indian Rummy is a popular card game in the Indian subcontinent. It is similar to a classical rummy game and is widely known as “Paplu” in India. Indian rummy has a rich history, although its precise origin is not well-documented. It is widely accepted that the game is a fusion of two well-known American card games, Gin Rummy and Rummy 500.

What is Indian Rummy?

Indian Rummy is a type of rummy game that is played with two decks of cards, including jokers. The objective of an Indian rummy game is to form sets and sequences of cards and be the first to get rid of all the cards. It requires two or more players and involves strategy and skill to win.

Indian Rummy Rules

The game involves 2 decks of cards and can be played with 2 to 6 players. According to the rummy rules, the goal is to organize all the cards into the correct sequences and sets. To win, players must have at least 2 sequences, with one of them being a pure sequence, while the other sequences can be any valid combination of sequences or sets. Each deck consists of 52 cards along with 2 printed jokers.

• Sequence: Running numbers of the same suit are called a sequence.
• Pure sequence: Running cards of the same suit without using a joker is called pure sequence.
• Set: A set is three cards of the same suit but has different face value.

How to Use Joker in Indian Rummy?

• Jokers, whether they are wild or printed, are specifically used to create incomplete sequences and sets.
• A wild joker can only be utilized to form a complete sequence if its of the same suit and rank.
• A joker card can substitute for a single card within a sequence or set.
• Players are not allowed to use two joker cards while making sets and sequences.
• If you form a set with cards like 7♣️7♠️7♥️7♦️, you cannot include a joker card as the fifth card since there can be only four cards in a set.

How to Play Indian Rummy?

Now that you have got a hang of the basic objective and rules of the game, let’s dive into how to play rummy:

1. Players are dealt a certain number of cards from the deck, typically 13 cards for each player.
2. The game begins with a randomly selected card from the deck placed face-up on the table to form the “open card” or “discard pile.” The remaining undealt cards are placed face-down to form the “closed deck.”
3. On their turn, players have the option to either pick a card from the closed deck or the topmost card from the discard pile.
4. After picking a card, the player must discard one card from their hand to the discard pile.
5. The goal is to form valid sets (three or more cards of the same rank but different suits) and sequences (three or more consecutive cards of the same suit).
6. A valid declaration consists of at least two sequences, one of which must be a pure sequence (without a joker). A pure sequence is a sequence formed without the use of any jokers.
7. Jokers can be used as substitutes for any missing card while forming sets or sequences. In addition, players can use one or more jokers to form impure sequences.
8. Once a player forms valid sets and sequences, they can declare the game. At this point, the other players get one final turn to meld their cards.
9. After the declaration, the score is calculated based on the value of the remaining cards in the players’ hands. The player with the lowest score wins the game.

Scoring System in Indian Rummy

In Indian Rummy, the goal is to have the lowest score possible. When a player successfully declares a valid combination of sequences and sets, they receive 0 points. However, the remaining players receive points based on the cards in their hands that are not part of valid sequences and sets. The cards A, K, Q, and J are worth 10 points each, while the rest of the cards carry points equal to their face value. Jokers have no point value. If a player makes an invalid declaration, they are penalized with 80 points.

Types of Indian Rummy

There are two main variants of Indian rummy:

• 13 card rummy
• 21 card rummy

13 Card Rummy

13 Card Rummy is similar to Indian Rummy which is played with a standard deck of 52 cards. The game objective of the 13 card rummy remains the same – each player has to meld their cards to make valid sets and sequences. In 13 card rummy, there are three main types of games, which are:

• Points rummy
• Pool Rummy
• Deals Rummy

21 Card Rummy

21 card rummy is another extended version of Indian rummy which is played with 3 decks of 53 cards each. The rules remain the same, except that players need to make three pure sequences in the 21 card rummy game.

Tips to Play Indian Rummy

Some of the top tips to play Indian rummy are:

• Try to discard cards close to a joker so that your opponent has less chance to use it.
• Always discard high cards unless they are helping you in making valid sets and sequences.
• Always make your pure sequence as early as possible, so that you can focus on rearranging your cards.
• Observing the cards that are being discarded and picked up from the open pile can provide valuable insights into your opponents’ hands. This allows you to make informed decisions about your own gameplay strategy.

Check out more tips and tricks to play rummy here.

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FAQs About Indian Rummy