How to Play Basic Rummy
How to Play Basic Rummy
Basic Rummy is a friendly draw-and-discard card game for 2–6 players. You need a normal deck of cards, and if you need one, you can find a regular deck of playing cards from Playmore. Your aim is to arrange cards into useful groups, get rid of your whole hand, and score points from the cards your opponents are still holding. This guide uses one common version of Basic Rummy; house rules can vary.
Quick facts
| Players | Deck | Starting hand | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2–6 | One standard 52-card deck | 10 cards for 2 players; 7 for 3–4; 6 for 5–6 | Go out and collect the most points |
What you are trying to do
Try to dispose of every card in your hand. You do this by making melds, which are valid card combinations placed face up on the table. A set is three or four cards of the same rank, such as 8♣, 8♥, and 8♠. A run is three or more consecutive cards in the same suit, such as 4♦, 5♦, and 6♦. In this version, aces are low, so A-2-3 is a run but Q-K-A is not.
You can also lay off, meaning add one or more cards from your hand to a meld already on the table. For example, you could add 7♦ to a 4♦-5♦-6♦ run, or the fourth 8 to a three-card set of eights. You may add cards to your own melds or to another player’s melds, but do not rearrange a meld to create a new one.
What you need
Use one ordinary 52-card deck with no jokers. You also need a clear playing area and something for scorekeeping, such as paper and a pencil or a notes app. Everyone should be able to see the face-up discard pile and the melds on the table. Before the first deal, agree whether you will play one hand, a fixed number of hands, or several hands until someone reaches a target score such as 100 points.
Set it up
Choose a dealer at random. The dealer gives cards face down, one at a time, starting with the player on the dealer’s left. Deal 10 cards to each player when there are two players. Deal 7 cards each with three or four players, and 6 cards each with five or six players.
Place the undealt cards face down in the middle. This is the stock, the pile from which players draw unseen cards. Turn the next card face up beside it to begin the discard pile, where discarded cards are visible. Each player may look at and sort their own hand. The player to the dealer’s left takes the first turn. After the hand, the deal moves to the next player; with two players, the winner deals next.
How to play
- Draw one card. Start your turn by taking either the top card of the stock or the top card of the discard pile. The stock is face down; the discard pile is face up, so you know what card you are taking there.
- Make one meld, if you can and want to. You may place one valid set or run from your hand face up in front of you. Melding is optional. You do not have to show a combination just because you have one.
- Lay off, if useful. You may add cards to any meld already on the table, including melds made by other players. Each added card must keep the combination valid. You may lay off more than one card during your turn.
- Discard one card. End your turn by placing one card face up on top of the discard pile. If you picked up the top discard, you cannot immediately discard that same card. You must discard a different card. If you drew from the stock, you may discard the card you just drew.
- Continue clockwise. The next player follows the same draw, meld, lay-off, and discard sequence. Keep your melds face up and separate enough that everyone can identify each set or run.
If the stock runs out, the next player may take the top discard. If that player does not want it, turn the rest of the discard pile face down without shuffling it and use it as the new stock. Leave the top card available as the discard pile’s new visible card. If someone goes out before then, the hand ends immediately.
How you win
A player goes out when they have no cards left after melding, laying off, or discarding. As soon as one player goes out, stop the hand; nobody else gets another turn. Add the values of the cards remaining in each opponent’s hand, and give that total to the player who went out. Number cards are worth their printed numbers, aces are worth 1 point, and jacks, queens, and kings are worth 10 points each.
For example, if you go out and another player has a queen, a 5, and an ace left, you score 16 points from that player. Record the scores and start another hand if you agreed to play a longer game. The first player to reach the target score wins. You may also simply play one hand and declare the player who went out the winner.
Easy first-game tips
Look for runs and sets as soon as you pick up your cards, but do not hold every possible card forever. A run needs the same suit and neighboring ranks, while a set needs matching ranks in different suits. Keep cards that could connect in more than one way, such as a 6 that could join a 4-5 or a 7-8 in its suit.
Watch the discard pile. It gives you clues about what other players may be collecting, and taking a visible card can reveal some of your plan. Avoid discarding a card that clearly completes a run or set someone has been building. High cards are especially risky to keep late in the hand because they leave more points in your hand if another player goes out.
Do not rush to meld the first combination you see. Sometimes keeping a card hidden lets you build a stronger combination or lay off several cards later. On the other hand, putting down a meld can reduce the points you might be stuck with. For a first game, focus on learning the turn order and checking that every meld is valid.
Quick questions
Can I take any card from the discard pile?
No. Take only the top, face-up card. You may not pick a card from the middle of the pile.
Can I use an ace after a king?
Not in this common version. Aces are low, so A-2-3 works, but Q-K-A does not.