🂡 Rummy: card game rules

How to play Rummy

Goal: Get rid of every card in your hand by laying down sets and runs on the table.

Setting up

1. With two players, deal 10 cards each. With three or four players, deal 7 cards each.
2. The rest of the deck is the draw pile. Turn its top card face up to start the discard pile.

How to play

1. Start your turn by taking one card, either from the draw pile or the top card of the discard pile.
2. You can lay down combinations: a set (3 or 4 cards of the same number) or a run (3 or more cards of the same suit in a row).
3. You may also add cards to combinations already on the table, including other players' combinations.
4. End every turn by discarding one card onto the discard pile.
5. If the draw pile runs out, turn over the discard pile (except its top card) to make a new draw pile.

Who wins

The first player to get rid of all their cards wins the round. Everyone else counts the cards left in their hand, so you can play several rounds and keep score.

Tips

• Don't rush to throw away cards that are close to a run. Sometimes the missing card turns up.
• Watch what your opponents pick up from the discard pile so you don't hand them a card they need.

Variations

• Rummy with jokers: add two jokers that can stand in for any card in a combination.