Indian rummy rules

The thirteen-card rummy of India, and one of the most-played card games in the country. The rule that defines it is the pure sequence.

The deck

Two 52-card decks with jokers, for two to six players. Thirteen cards each. One card is turned up at the start and becomes the wild joker — every card of that rank, in all suits, is wild for the hand, alongside the printed jokers.

The requirement

You must have at least two sequences, and at least one of them must be pure — a run of three or more in the same suit containing no joker at all.

Without a pure sequence, nothing else in your hand counts for anything. This is the whole game.

The melds

Pure sequence: consecutive cards in one suit, no joker. Impure sequence: consecutive cards in one suit using a joker to fill a gap. Set: three or four cards of the same rank in different suits, jokers allowed.

Your turn

Draw from the closed deck or take the open discard, then discard one card. You always hold thirteen cards.

Declaring

When your thirteen cards form valid combinations with at least two sequences including one pure one, you place your final card face down and declare.

Scoring

A valid declaration scores zero. Everyone else scores the value of the cards not part of a valid meld: court cards and aces 10 each, number cards face value, up to a maximum of 80.

A player who declares wrongly takes an 80-point penalty, which is why nobody declares in a hurry.

Indian rummy: an example game

One game of Indian rummy followed from the deal to the finish, move by move, with the reason for each choice.

The deal

Three players — you, Ada and Bo — playing to 101. The turned card is 7♣, so every seven is wild this deal, along with the printed jokers.

Your thirteen cards: 4♥ 5♥ 6♥, 9♠ 10♠ Q♠, K♦ K♣, 2♣ 3♣, A♦, 8♥ and 7♦.

Reading the hand

4♥ 5♥ 6♥ is already a pure sequence — the hardest part is done. The 7♦ is wild, so 9♠ 10♠ 7♦ Q♠ is a second sequence, with the seven standing in for the jack. That one is impure, which is fine: you have your pure one.

Still loose: the two kings, 2♣ 3♣, A♦ and 8♥. You need a third king or one more club.

Taking the king

Ada throws K♥. You take it from the pile — everyone sees you do it — and K♦ K♣ K♥ is a set. You throw A♦: it is worth 10 and fits nothing.

Your hand is now four combinations and one loose 8♥, with 2♣ 3♣ waiting for a club.

Declaring

Next turn you draw 4♣ from the closed deck: 2♣ 3♣ 4♣, a second pure sequence. You hold fourteen cards. You put 8♥ face down and press Declare.

Your thirteen: 4♥ 5♥ 6♥ and 2♣ 3♣ 4♣, both pure; 9♠ 10♠ 7♦ Q♠, impure; and the set of kings. Two sequences, a pure one among them, every card used. It is valid, and you score zero.

The count

Ada has a pure sequence and a second one, so only her loose cards count: 23 points. Bo never found a pure sequence, so his whole hand counts. It adds up to 96, but no hand costs more than 80.

The scores: you 0, Ada 23, Bo 80. Bo is already most of the way to 101.

What the deal shows

You were dealt a pure sequence and protected it, and the wild seven did the rest. Bo's sets and high cards were worth nothing without a pure sequence to stand on.

Had you pressed Declare a turn earlier, with 2♣ 3♣ still waiting for a third club, it would have been a wrong declaration: 80 points and out of the deal.