Rummy Wiki - Complete glossary on Rummy card game:

Rummy

Rummy is a card game often played with two or more decks, in which the players try to form sets and sequences of cards. It is also referred to as Standard Rummy. People have always enjoyed this 13-card game variant right since ages. To have a good command over the game, it is important to have a strong hold on rummy basics. As you keep playing, you will eventually master the rummy tips which are important to win the game.

Indian Rummy

A card game played in India with little variation from original rummy. It is considered a cross between Rummy 500 and Gin rummy. There are many rummy variants played in Online Rummy circuit.

Objective

The main objective of the game is to arrange all the 13 cards dealt into sets or sequences. In order to win, you must have at least 2 sequences out of which one must be a pure sequence (without including joker) and the remaining cards must be arranged in sets or sequences.

Important Rummy Terminologies:

Buy In

Buy In refers to the amount in Rupees a player has to pay in order to enter a cash tournament. To explain it in simple terms, it is the entry fee one has to pay to play in a cash tourney. In certain tournaments, loyalty points accumulated act as a Buy In.

Deal

Cards from the decks are shuffled and 13 cards are dealt to each player. However deck is not completely emptied. Some playing cards are left to form the closed deck. The dealing takes plays after toss in a rummy game.

Closed Deck

After the cards are dealt to players, the remaining cards are placed with their facedown to form what is known as the closed deck. There is also an open deck which is also referred as Discard pile for the players to discard the card.

Deck

A standard deck has 52 cards without including jokers. If you include the jokers it is 54.

Declare

This action of submitting the cards after melding the cards into proper sets and sequences is called Declare. It is also referred as show

Discard

The act of dropping a card from the hand after picking up a card from open/closed deck is called as Discard. You will have to have a clear rummy strategy when it comes to discards.

Drawing

The act of picking up a card from the open deck or closed deck is called as Drawing or The Draw.

Joker

A card generated randomly at the beginning of the rummy game that can take the place of any card in a run or a set is called Joker or wild card. As it is highly improbable to meld all the 13 cards dealt into pure sets and sequences, Wild cards comes in handy as they act as a substitute for the card missing in a set or a sequence. Rummy joker rules are easy to understand.

Assume J♦ is a joker,

6♦ 7♦ J♠ 9♦

J♠ is used as a wild joker to replace 8♦ to form a sequence of 6♦ 7♦ 8♦ 9♦

Printed Joker – The printed Joker that comes with the pack of cards.

If the Printed Joker is selected randomly as the Wild Joker, then Aces of all suits act as Wild Joker along with the printed joker.

Hand

The cards that are dealt to a player at the beginning of the game are called as Hand.

Melding

Meld is the term used to denote arranging cards into proper sets/sequences. Eg: The act of grouping 3♠ 4♠ 5♠ in a sequence is termed as Melding. Follow a good meld strategy in order to win this game of 13 cards.

Rank

13 ranks of cards are available in 4 different suits namely

♠Spades - Black in colour

♥ Hearts - Red in colour

♦Diamonds – Red in colour

♣Clubs – Black in colour

A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, and K are the cards available in all the suits

Jack, Queen, King are referred as face cards

2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 are referred as number cards

Sequence or Run

Three or four consecutive cards from a same suit is called sequence (eg: 3♠,4♠ ,5♠ is a sequence)

Invalid Sequence - 6♠ 7♣ 8♠

Pure Sequence

One pure sequence is mandatory in the game of Rummy to declare victory. Three or 4 cards of the same suit without joker can be referred as Pure sequence. 3♠ 4♠ 5♠ is a pure sequence. Caution: When you are using 2 decks or more you cannot use the same card twice in a set for instance. 6 ♠ 6 ♠ 6 ♥ cannot be considered as a valid set in such cases.

Impure Sequence

An impure sequence is group of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit with one or more jokers.

Eg; Assume Q♦ is a joker,

6♦ 7♦ Q♠ 9♦

Q♠ is used as a wild joker to replace 8♦ to form a sequence of 6♦ 7♦ 8♦ 9♦

Set

A set is made by three or four cards of the same rank from different suits. (J, J, J of different suits)

Please note when you are using 2 decks or more you cannot use the same card twice in a set for instance. 6 ♠ 6 ♠ 6 ♥ cannot be considered as a valid set in such cases

Shuffle

Shuffling is a procedure used to randomize a deck of playing cards to provide an element of chance in card games. Online rummy sites have automated the shuffling of cards, picking up Joker and dealing of cards to players.

Rummy Card Combinations

In rummy, mastering the art of forming winning card combinations is essential for success. From melding sets to creating runs, players strategize to arrange their cards optimally. Each player aims to form valid rummy card combinations such as sequences and sets, utilizing jokers strategically to complete their hand.