Indian rummy card game is all about strategies and moves that a player makes based on those strategies to win. Whether a player will win or lose in a rummy game is dependent on the moves he/she makes during the game. The person who forms the sets, sequences first and makes a valid declaration wins the game. It sounds easy but most players make wrong moves which results in them losing the game. Since there are certain common mistakes that can ruin your game let’s explain what they are which you should avoid especially playing a real cash game.

Not Knowing the Rules: There are many online rummy games and basic rules for most are the same. However, there might be certain exceptions for certain games or tables. Hence sometimes players assume that all games have the same rules and start playing only to know later on that they should have gone through the rules completely and not assume that they know all. By then it’s too late to come back and win the game. So, it’s always better to know the rummy rules than regret later on.

Not Arranging Cards Properly: Players who don’t arrange their cards properly struggle with managing time in the rummy game. Arranging cards properly helps in concentrating on the game better. It also saves time to focus on moves as you will not be confused about which cards to pick and discard. A good way to arrange your cards effectively is to alternate the colours. Make a perfect rummy card sequence will help you to make strategies quickly.

Playing in Haste: There’s a saying; haste makes waste. If you are trying to play a game when you don’t have the time then avoid playing. Every move is important hence players should take their time making every move because haste usually proves costly.

Lack of Focus: While you might be playing the rummy game but mind can be wandering and not paying attention to the game. This will make you miss moves that your opponent could be planning. You might also make mistakes while making your moves resulting in ruining your game. Hence it is extremely important that the player is completely focused on the game when playing.

Holding High Value Cards for Too Long: A common mistake many online rummy players usually make is that they wait for too long to discard cards with higher points. These cards are usually the face cards and Ace as well. Learn importance of ACE in rummy game. It is vital for your chances in the game to avoid doing that. This will ensure that if your opponent declares before you do, your loss points are reduced.

Not Going for Smart Cards: When playing a real cash game in online rummy the winning hand often belongs to the first person to meld their cards. These cards are called smart cards because they can be easily converted into a run. Cards such as 5,6,7,8,9 of the same suit are smart cards and can be used in a number of different combinations. So, if you aren’t looking to make full use of these smart cards you are messing up big time.

Not Holding On To Your Jokers Tightly: Joker in rummy is one of the most powerful cards. Hence it is vital for players to make the best possible use of it and not get rid of it quickly. Once discarded it can’t be picked up again so, a golden tip is that one should always use of joker in rummy to complete a run or set of higher point value. The focus should also be to not use the joker card in a natural run.

Chasing Losses: Taking emotional decisions in the game can’t be called rummy passion. So, players who chase their losses playing rummy are likely to ruin their game and money. When a player plays with the intention of recovering the loss suffered in the game previously, he/she isn’t exactly focusing on the game practically but emotionally and that’s never recommended. Players should play rummy with self-imposed limits. They should never ever go overboard and play more than one’s risk handling ability and capacity. If you have lost cash, don’t just play to recover your losses. Chasing your losses can make the losses even bigger. The best approach in such a scenario is to take a short break, analyze your game, assess your rummy strategies and then play when you are in the right frame of mind.

Making An Invalid Declaration: Declaration is the final step in a rummy game which decides the winner. If a player makes an invalid declaration all the hard work in the game is of no use. Making an invalid rummy declaration can make the players lose the round with 80 points. This can be avoided by regularly shuffling the cards.

Every game has certain jargon that talks about aspects or features of that game. The same’s the case for the rummy game. Be it playing rummy online or offline these terminologies or glossaries are a must know for players who want to understand Indian rummy. Knowing these is like learning the language of the game. So here are some very important rummy terms.

Ace: Cards with ‘A’ printed on them. In a standard deck of 52 cards, you will have four aces of different suits.

Buy In: It is the amount of cash required to play a game that involves real cash.

Deck: It’s a pack of cards in a rummy game. Every deck has 52 cards, and these are vital for the game. Some rummy games are played with two decks of cards and some with only one.

Closed Deck: At the beginning of an Indian rummy game 13 cards are distributed. The pack of cards that’s undealt and is kept face down is known as a closed deck.

Open Deck: These are cards placed on the table facing up. The cards that a player discards lands in this pile, and hence it’s known as the open deck.

Deal: This is the process for distribution of cards to all the rummy players on the table.

Dealer: The cards in rummy are dealt to all the players in a rummy game by one of the players playing the game and this person is called a dealer. A dealer can be chosen anonymously or through a toss.

Declare: Once a player has finished forming sets and sequences in rummy, they can discard a card in the finish slot. This final step of the game is called declaring.

Draw & Discard: Placing a card facing up in the open deck. When a player selects a card from a deck, it is called ‘draw’. If a player has drawn a card, he/she must also ‘discard’ any card to the discarded pile.

Drop: If a player doesn’t like the cards, he has got and feels he will struggle to meld those quickly they can quit the game and this is known as dropping out of the game. In rummy online, players may drop out at the beginning or in the middle of the game and this has to be done before anyone else makes a valid declaration.

Rummy Hands: These are the cards that a player gets in a deal. While playing Rummy online with two, three, or four players, each player gets ten cards; when playing with five players, each player gets six cards. With more than five players, you must use two decks of cards and a hand of seven cards. The two-player game can also be played with seven cards each.

Joker: Be it online rummy or offline rummy the wild card joker may be selected randomly at the start of the game and the deck of cards may also contain the printed joker. It is an important card because it can be used as any card in the game.

Rummy Sequences: A sequence is formed when three or more consecutive cards of the same suit are aligned together. There are two kinds of rummy sequences . A player must have at least one pure and impure sequence to make a valid declaration after completing all the melds.

Pure Sequence: It’s a group of three or more cards of the same suit, arranged in consecutive order. To form this Joker or wild card can’t be used.

Impure sequence: This sequence contains a joker. If a player is short on cards, a joker can be used here.

First life: This the first pure sequence in rummy to make a valid declaration. A player must have a minimum of two sequences, out of which the first one has to be a pure sequence, and this goal/target is said to be first life.

Second life: For a valid declaration, a player’s second mandatory sequence can be a pure or impure. This process of completing the second run/sequence is referred to as second life.

Rummy Sets: Cards with the same rank but not the same suit are formed to make sets. They may contain jokers that are usually a group of three or four cards. For example, 7 hearts, 7 diamonds and 7 spades make a set.

Score: A total of all card points that are no longer a part of any sequence or set is a player’s score. The score for all picture cards (including Ace) is 10 points, while joker is of 0 points, and all the remaining cards carry points equivalent to their numerical value.

Top Card: The card which is at the top of the closed deck is called top card and is also known as face down.

Up Card: The card at the top of the discard or open deck is called up card and is also known as face up.

Rummy Variants: There are three main types of rummy game modes in Indian rummy which are called rummy variants. These being points rummy, pool rummy, and deals rummy.

Rummy though is a very popular game but still people find some rules confusing. So, if you want to play rummy but all this while have been struggling with the rules of playing the rummy card game. Let’s get that sorted for you first. This will help you enjoy the game on your favorite rummy app PlayRummy. Below is the detailed explanation for beginners on how to play the rummy game online and excel at it.

Players & Deck: Online Rummy is played among two to five players and each player is dealt 13 cards. For two or four players, two 52-card decks (104 cards) and four jokers (wild cards) are used and for five players, three decks (156 cards) and six jokers are used. Each player deals the cards in clockwise direction.

The game begins with a player making the first move after a random toss. The next card from the deck is placed face up on the table and this starts the discard pile/open deck. The remaining cards are placed face down in the centre of the table and this is called the stock pile or closed deck.

Next, a card is picked from the stock pile and placed face up under the stock pile so that it is visible. All the cards of that rank regardless of the suit can be utilised as additional jokers or wild cards.

The objective of the playing online game is to form sequences and sets. When a player has done that, the declaration can be made.

Sequences: These are of two kinds of pure and impure. A pure sequence are three consecutive cards of the same suit. When playing with three 52-card decks, the three cards of same rank and same suit are also treated as pure sequence. It is an impure sequence when a printed joker or a wild card is used to create a sequence.

Set: A set is considered a pure one when three cards are of the same rank but of different suit. If two or more cards of the same suit are used to make a set of three or more cards then the set is not valid. This is applicable in gameplays with two or more decks of cards. Though a set can be built with a wild card or a printed joker.

Jokers: There are also two types: wild joker and printed joker. At the start of each game, a wild joker card is randomly selected. This card can be used as a replacement to any required card after you meet the requirement of at least one valid sequence. Printed jokers also serve the same purpose since you can use them to replace any other card to form sets and sequences.

First & Second Life: In a valid declaration you must have a minimum two sequences. One of the two required sequences must have a pure sequence and the other must have a minimum of 4 cards. The three cards of same rank and same suit are treated as pure sequence and can be treated as a first life.

Valid Rummy Declaration: A valid declaration in online rummy game can be made in different ways:

First can be when a player declares with pure and sequences and sets. All the 13 cards are arranged in valid sequences and sets. It has a minimum of two sequences and both are pure sequences and meet the valid declaration in rummy game criteria of having at least two sequences, out of which one is a pure sequence and one has four cards.

The second form valid rummy declaration can be declared with pure and impure sets & sequence combination. The objective of the game is met by having at least two sequences, out of which one is a pure sequence and one has four in a sequence.

Wrong Declaration: The declaration by player will be considered wrong if a player declares without forming a pure sequence. Same way declarations are made without any sequence or when a set is formed with the same value card of the similar suit.

Dropping from the game: If a player wants to drop from the game without picking even a single card from the discard pile or stockpile, the player will lose 10 points. If he/she drops in between a hand, before any other player has done a valid declaration, they stand to lose 30 points.

How to win in rummy: When a player has arranged all the cards in hand in either proper sequences and/or sets, including one pure sequence, they need to declare the game by discarding one of their cards to the declaring slot. After that is done, they need to rearrange the cards in proper sequences and/or sets to show them to their opponents and wait for them to show their respective hands.