How to Play 13-Card Rummy

The objective

Every player tries to sort their 13 cards into groups called melds. There are two kinds:

• A sequence – three or more cards of the same suit in order, such as 4♥5♥6♥.
• A set – three or four cards of the same rank in different suits, such as 9♠9♥9♣.

The first player to group all 13 cards correctly and declare wins the deal. Everyone else counts points for the cards they could not use. In rummy, low points are good.

The cards

Indian rummy uses two ordinary decks shuffled together, plus two printed jokers, for 106 cards in total. Because there are two decks, every card appears twice – there are two K♥, two 5♣, and so on. Keep this in mind when building sets (more on that below).

Some groups use a single deck when only two people play. Our free game always uses two decks.

Card values

These values only matter when counting a losing hand. See rummy scoring for full details.

The deal

1. Players decide who deals first. Many groups do this by each drawing a card – the lowest card deals. After that, the deal usually passes to the next player in turn.
2. The dealer shuffles and gives each player 13 cards, one at a time, face down.
3. One card is drawn from the remaining pack and shown face up. This card decides the wild joker (explained next). It is commonly placed under the pack, half visible, so everyone can see it during the game.
4. The rest of the pack goes face down in the middle. This is the closed deck.
5. The top card of the closed deck is turned face up next to it to start the open pile (also called the discard pile).

The player next to the dealer usually plays first, and play continues in turn around the table.

Jokers: printed and wild

Jokers can stand in for any card you are missing. There are two kinds.

Printed jokers

The two jokers printed with a jester or star ★JKR are always jokers. They can replace any card in an impure sequence or a set.

The wild joker

The face-up card drawn after the deal picks a rank. Every card of that rank, in all four suits, becomes a wild joker for this deal. If the face-up card is the 7♦, then all sevens are wild: 7♠7♥7♦7♣. (On this site, a gold ring marks a wild joker.)

If the face-up card happens to be a printed joker, all Aces become the wild jokers for that deal.

A wild joker can be used in two ways:

• As a joker, filling a gap anywhere. With sevens wild, 9♣7♠J♣ is a sequence – the seven stands in for the missing 10♣.
• As its own natural card. With sevens wild, 6♥7♥8♥ is a normal run of hearts, and it still counts as a pure sequence because the seven is in its real place.

Playing a turn

Every turn has two parts, always in this order.

1. Draw one card – either the top card of the closed deck (you don’t know what it is) or the top card of the open pile (everyone can see it).
2. Discard one card face up on the open pile.

So you always end your turn with 13 cards. Picking from the open pile tells other players what you might be collecting, so think before you take it. Many groups and apps also stop players from picking a joker someone else has thrown away – check your table’s rule.

If the closed deck runs out before anyone declares, the open pile (except its top card) is usually shuffled and turned over to form a new closed deck.

Melds in detail

Pure sequence

Three or more consecutive cards of the same suit, with no joker standing in for a missing card.

3♠4♠5♠   8♦9♦10♦J♦   Q♣K♣A♣

Impure sequence

Three or more consecutive cards of the same suit where one or more jokers replace missing cards.

3♠★JKR5♠   8♦9♦7♣J♦   2♥3♥★JKR5♥6♥

Set

Three or four cards of the same rank, each from a different suit. Jokers can fill a set too.

K♠K♥K♦   4♠4♥4♦4♣   Q♠Q♥★JKR

Rules for the Ace

The Ace can be low (A♥2♥3♥) or high (Q♥K♥A♥), but a sequence cannot wrap around the corner. K♥A♥2♥ is invalid.

For many more examples, see sequences and sets explained.

What makes a valid declaration

To declare, all 13 cards must be in groups of three or more, and your hand must include:

1. At least two sequences, and
2. At least one of them must be a pure sequence.

The second sequence can be pure or impure. All remaining cards can be in further sequences or sets.

Here is a valid hand. Sevens are wild.

3♥4♥5♥ pure sequence
9♠10♠7♦Q♠ impure sequence (the seven replaces J♠)
K♣K♦K♠ set
2♣2♥★JKR set

And here are two hands that look close but are invalid:

3♥4♥★JKR 9♠10♠7♦ K♣K♦K♠ 2♣2♥2♦2♠
Two sequences, but both use a joker. There is no pure sequence.

3♥4♥5♥ K♣K♦K♠ 2♣2♥2♦ 9♠9♥9♣9♦
A pure sequence, but no second sequence. Sets alone are not enough.

Not sure about your hand? Test it in our hand checker.

How to declare

When your turn comes and you can complete your hand:

1. Draw a card as usual. You now hold 14 cards.
2. Place your final, unneeded card face down as your finishing discard (apps often show a “finish” slot for this).
3. Lay down your 13 cards arranged in their groups for the others to check.

If the hand is valid, you win the deal with 0 points. If it is not, it is a wrong declaration (also called a wrong show) and you get 80 points – the worst score possible. With three or more players, house rules differ on whether the deal then carries on for everyone else. So always check your groups twice before you declare.

Dropping out of a deal

If your cards look hopeless, you may drop (leave the deal) on your turn and take a fixed penalty instead of risking a heavy loss.

• First drop – before you have drawn any card: 20 points.
• Middle drop – at any later turn: 40 points.

In 201 Pool rummy these become 25 and 50. Read when to drop for advice on making this call.

Scoring a losing hand

Once someone declares correctly, every other player arranges their cards as well as they can and counts points:

• No pure sequence – all 13 cards count.
• A pure sequence but no second sequence – every card except the pure sequence counts. Sets don’t save you here.
• A pure sequence plus at least one more sequence – only cards that are not in a valid sequence or set count.

The most you can lose in one deal is 80 points, however bad the hand. Our free game arranges a losing hand in the best possible way for you before counting, so you never lose extra points because of how the cards were sorted.

Example: you have 5♣6♣7♣ (pure), J♦Q♦★JKR (impure), and the leftover cards K♠2♥9♥4♠4♦10♣A♣. The leftover cards count: 10 + 2 + 9 + 4 + 4 + 10 + 10 = 49 points. (Here sevens are not wild – the wild joker is a different rank.) Our points calculator can do this for you.

Formats: Points, Pool and Deals

The hand rules above never change. What changes is how many deals you play and how scores are kept:

• Points rummy – one deal and done.
• Pool rummy – keep playing; reach 101 (or 201) points and you are out.
• Deals rummy – a fixed number of deals; lowest total wins.

Quick tips for your first games

• Make the pure sequence your first job. Without it, every card counts against you.
• Throw away high cards (A, K, Q, J) that aren’t connecting early, to cut your risk.
• Keep jokers. Never discard one unless you are completely sure.

More in our beginner tips.

FAQ

How many cards does each player get in Indian rummy?

Each player gets 13 cards. You draw one card and discard one each turn, so you always return to 13. When you declare, you briefly hold 14 and put the last one down as your finishing discard.

Can I declare with sets and only one sequence?

No. You need at least two sequences, and one of them must be pure. A pure sequence plus three sets is an invalid declaration and costs 80 points.

Is a sequence with a wild joker in its natural place pure?

Yes. If sevens are wild, the run 6-7-8 of hearts with the real seven of hearts is a pure sequence, because the seven isn’t replacing anything. A printed joker, however, can never be part of a pure sequence.

Can a sequence go K-A-2?

No. The Ace can be at the bottom (A-2-3) or at the top (Q-K-A) of a sequence, but it can’t join the King and the Two together.

What happens if I declare wrongly?

A wrong declaration scores 80 points, the maximum penalty for a deal. Check that you have two sequences, including one pure sequence, before you show.