How to Play Traditional Rummy Online

July 30, 2009

Rummy Online has been played in various forms throughout its existence.
Traditional Rummy is no longer the most popular version of the game, but it is still found frequently enough in home games and online Rummy rooms.

In this section, we’ll teach you the rules of Traditional Rummy Online.

Object of Rummy
The object of Rummy is to develop and play sets and/or runs, called “melds”, and eventually be the first player to run out of cards.
This is done by melding all cards in the player’s hand, or discarding the last card held onto the discard pile.

Hands of Rummy continue to be played, either for a specific number of hands, or until a player reaches a specified score.
At that time, the player with the lowest score is declared the overall winner.

Structure of Rummy
Rummy is played with 2-4 players, using a standard deck of 52 cards.

Glossary of Rummy Terms
The following terms are used in traditional Rummy online games.
You’ll need to know what each of these terms means in order to understand how to play Rummy Online.

Set: A set is a series of at least 3, same-value cards. [Ex: 7-7-7, Q-Q-Q, A-A-A, etc.]

Run: A series of at least 4 suited connectors; same-suit cards that run in sequence. [Ex: 4h-5h-6h-7h, 9c-10c-Jc-Qc-Kc, etc.]
Traditional Rummy calls for all Runs to be made of same-suit cards.
This is not always so in other Rummy variants.

Meld: When a player lays down Sets and/or Runs on the table, this is called Melding. Melds should always be placed face-up, with Runs played in correct sequence.

Building: Once a Meld is played, other players, as well as the owner of the Meld, are able to continue building on the Sets/Runs as they can. A Set of 5’s, for example, can have other 5’s added to it.
A Run of 3-4-5-6 can hold a 2 or 7.
Note that only a player who has Melded will be able to Build on existing Melds.

Ways To Win when you play online Rummy
There are two ways to win in Traditional Rummy – Going Out and Going Rummy.

Going Out means the player runs completely out of cards either by continued melding, building on other melds, or discarding their final card.
There is no penalty to other players for Going Out.
Scoring is calculated in the normal fashion.

Going Rummy happens when a player is able to run completely out of cards in the same play that they drop their first melds.
The player can play all of his cards in his own melds, drop his own melds plus build on other melds, or place his final card on the discard pile in order to run out of cards in a single play.
Normal scoring takes place, but all other players receive a 25-Point penalty to their score.

Taking Score in Rummy
Score is taken by adding up all of the cards in each players hand after one player has run out of cards.
The sum of all cards is the player’s total score.
Note that the lowest score wins in Rummy, not the highest.

Cards are scored as follows:

2-10 = Face Value [2 = 2 points, 5 = 5 points, etc.]
Face Cards = 10 Points
Aces = 11 Points

Should a player win by Going Rummy, all other players also receive a 25-point penalty (25 points added to their score).

How To Play Rummy Online – The Deal
At the start of a session, each player is dealt one card.
The highest card determines the dealer.
The cards are shuffled and cut, then the deal begins.
Starting with the player left of the dealer and working clockwise around the table, each player is dealt one card at a time until all players have 10 cards in their hand. A player should not show their cards to any other player.
A final card is dealt face up in the center of the table, forming the “Open Pile”.
This is where all players will discard at the end of their turn.
The remainder of the deck is placed next to the Open Pile, creating the Draw Pile, or Stock Pile.

Players will then take turns, starting left of the dealer and working clockwise around the table.
When a turn begins, the player must first draw one card either from the Draw Pile or Open Pile.
The player may then drop Melds (Sets and/or Runs) face-up on the table in front of himself/herself.

In Traditional Rummy, there is no exact requirement for how many sets and/or runs must be played in a single hand.
A player can place a total of three sets, two runs, one long run, a set and a run, two sets and a run, or any other viable combination of melds to eventually run out of cards.

When the player’s turn is over, he must discard a single card on the Open Pile.
The next player to his left will then start his/her turn, drawing a card from the Stock Pile or Open Pile, and so an and so forth.

The game continues in this fashion until one player has run out of cards.
This player wins, and since he has no cards left, will not receive any score.

Traditional Rummy – Notes
A player is not allowed to draw a card from the Open Pile, then discard the same card. This would be a pointless move anyway.

No player may build on another payer’s Melds without having first placed at least one Meld of their own.

If the Draw Pile drops to only 2 cards remaining, the game automatically ends.
There is no winner or loser.
No score is calculated.
The game if forfeit.
The cards are reshuffled and a new game begins.

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