How to Play Rummy: Card Game Rules & Interactive Tutorial

Rummy is a "draw and discard" card game for 4 players. Like its two-player cousin, Gin Rummy, players take turns drawing cards and forming melds. Win by being the first to play all your cards while accumulating points over multiple rounds.

Below you'll find a thorough explanation of the rules, and above, you'll find an interactive tutorial to help you learn how to play. Whichever way you choose, you should be well-acquainted with the rules in no time.

Once you're familiar with the rules, you can Play Rummy Online for free at World of Card Games. You have the option to play against other people online or with friends. We recommend playing a couple of games against our bots before playing against other people.

Let the Rummy extravaganza begin!

The Cards

Rummy uses a standard deck of 52 playing cards. Cards are ranked from Ace (low) to King. Face cards (Jack, Queen, King) are worth 10 points, number cards are worth their face value, and Aces count as 1 point. These values matter when calculating points at the end of each hand.

Objective

The goal is to be the first player to reach 500 points. You earn points by forming melds and going out before other players. A strategic balance between forming your own melds and preventing opponents from completing theirs is key to winning.

Deal

A random player is chosen as the dealer for the first hand. Each player receives 7 cards, and the remaining cards form the draw pile in the center of the table. One card is turned face up beside the draw pile to start the discard pile. Play proceeds clockwise from the dealer.

Gameplay

On your turn, you must first draw one of:

The top card from the draw pile
The top card of the discard pile

You can then form melds and lay them on the table or add cards to existing melds. There are two types of melds:

Sets: Three or four cards of the same rank (for example, three 7s)
Runs: Three or more consecutive cards in the same suit (for example, 5-6-7 of hearts). Aces can be used as either high or low in runs, meaning they can be played before a 2 (A-2-3) or after a King (Q-K-A)

Remember that Aces can only be used low (before 2) in runs, and each card can only be part of one meld at a time. You must end your turn by discarding one card face up onto the discard pile.

Scoring

When you go out by playing all your cards, you score points based on the cards remaining in your opponents' hands:

Face cards (J, Q, K): 10 points each
Ace: 1 point
Number cards: Face value (2=2 points, 3=3 points, etc.)

The game continues with subsequent hands until a player reaches 500 points. In case multiple players exceed 500 points in the same round, the higher score wins.

Game End

The game can end in three ways:

A player reaches or exceeds 500 points (standard win)
A player's score falls below -500 points (automatic loss)
The draw pile is exhausted twice in one hand (the hand is redealt)

When someone reaches 500 points, they win the game. If multiple players exceed 500 points in the final hand, the player with the highest score wins.

History

Rummy evolved from early matching card games in the early 20th century. Its popularity grew due to its blend of skill and chance, making it a favorite social card game worldwide.

History

Rummy games first appeared in the early twentieth century, derived from the Mexican game Conquian. This version is known as basic rummy or Straight Rummy in card game literature. The game's simple yet strategic gameplay has made it a popular choice worldwide, spawning many variants including 500 Rummy, which allows multiple cards to be taken from the discard pile.