How to play Rummy

Learn the rules to the playing card game Rummy quickly and concisely - This video has no distractions, just the rules. While there are many variations to the Rummy game, this video covers the original base rules.

Don't own cool and unique playing cards?
(These Amazon Affiliate links directly supports me)

The object of the game is to get the most points. The object of each hand is to get rid of all the cards in your hand. Setup. Using a standard deck of playing cards, with kings high and aces low, each player draws 1 card and the player with the lowest card is the first dealer. If there is a tie, try again. The dealer shuffles then deals based on the number of players: 10 cards for 2 players, 7 cards for 3 to 4 players, or 6 cards for 5 to 6 players. Players look at their own cards but keep them hidden from their opponents. The remaining cards are placed face down on the table, forming the “stock”. Discard top card of the stock faceup to form a discard pile.

Beginning with the player to the left of the dealer and proceeding clockwise, each player’s turn begins by pickup one card from either the stock or the discard pile and adding it to their hand. If at any point in the game the stock pile runs out, the discard pile is shuffled to form a new stock pile. The last card in the new stock pile becomes the first card in the discard pile.

After adding a card to your hand you have two optional plays: Melding and Laying Off.

You make a meld by either having three or more of a kind or by having three or more of a run. A run is cards of the same suit in increasing or decreasing order. When you make a meld you must lay it face up on the table. Melding is optional and can only be done once a turn.

You may also “lay off” during your turn by adding one or more cards from your hand to any meld already on the table. Laying Off is optional and there is no limit to the number of cards you can lay off.

When you are finished melding and laying off you end your turn and must discard one card, face up, onto the discard pile. If you had drawn from the discard pile, you may not discard the same card you drew on that turn. The next player clockwise goes.

When one player gets rid of all of the cards in their hand, all players stop and the player who went out receives points for the remaining cards in other player’s hands. Face cards are worth 10 points each, aces are worth 1, and numbered cards are worth their number. A player goes "rummy" when they get rid of all the cards in their hand in one turn, without having previously melded or laid off any cards. In this event, they receive twice as many points.

The hand is now over. The role of dealer rotates clockwise by one and a new hand is dealt. This process repeats until a player reaches a predetermined point total or until you play a predetermined number of hands, at which time, the player with the most points wins.

[abbigailfoulks]

I am a hospice aide and recently got a patient that is very independent when it comes to personal care and things so I am really just around for basic company. He recently told me that him and his wife used to play rummy every night. I have never played and watched this video probably three times and it was super easy to understand and extremely helpful! I am confident in my ability to be able to play this game with him and make his heart Happy! Thank you.

[DylanDHoward]

I've been taught to play with a fanned out discard pile.
You can take any card from the discard pile. You have to not only play the card taken during your turn, but you also have to take every card on top as well and add it to your hand.

We also do points differently.
Cards you play are counted towards your score. 2-9 (5 points), 10-K (10 points), Ace (15 points). At the end of each round, players add up the cards they played, then subtracting what they have left in their hand. Your point total is the difference for that round.

[Kuggar]

This year my 81 year old father mentioned that he misses the time when he and his family played rummy on Christmas eve back in the 60s/70s. So this Christmas, it's rummy and whiskey for me, him, and the family! :D Thank you for the lesson!

[dharaninarankotuwa]

My family plays this every evening... one of the best games ever.... My dad taught us this.. now my whole family is playing daily... sorry for my bad english

[Tiredofitall.]

I think playing rummy must be different depending on where you live. Being from the East Coast we played it much differently than my Midwest wife and definitely much different than described in this video. Also, I've noticed a vast difference in scoring as well.
I think no matter how it's played and as long as you're having fun it's the right way!

[watchparty]

We play you can pick up multiple cards (in order) from the discard pile. You just have to use the last card you pick up.

[NatePaddock]

For 2-player rummy, we play for the lowest score: the player left holding the cards gets the points. Also, if a player accidentally discards a card that could have gone into a meld, the other player can call “rummy on the board” and steal it to put onto a meld before starting their turn.

We also have the rule that if you pick a card from the discard pile, you have to take all the cards put down on top of it (they are spread so you can see them)

[tsilarij-p]

I've been playing this so that you either pick one from the stock or all from the discard pile. It's a high risk high reward and a big thing if you can memorise what the discard pile is holding.

[hollyholly-]

You explained it so well. I watched other videos that made no sense to me. Thank you 🙏

[thief]

Ah, thank you mate. You finally taught me how to play Rummy!
Now, I can finally play with my family members!

[TacSprint]

Really well made and concise tutorial. I’ve always played under the idea that you can lay down as many melds as you want on your turn though. This would make the game trickier so I might try that next time.

[estebson]

Where I'm from, Rummy (Ron) is played quite differently. Aces are the highest and 2s the lowest, with an ace being worth 11 points. 7 cards are handed to each player, no matter how many there are, although there is a hard cap at 4 players. The game starts with no cards on the discard pile (so first player always draws from the deck), and it ends when someone is left with no cards or until the deck runs out, upon which the player with the lowest score wins, upon which the round's winner becomes the new dealer. There is technically no cap on lay-offs, but most players typically cap them off at 3 lay-offs, and you can't do then at the same time as a meld. Same thing for melds, which, although there is no official limit, are usually capped off at 1 per turn. If no melds of any sort have been played yet, then a run meld consisting of more than 3 cards can be played at once, meaning it is possible for someone to rummy with a single meld of 7 cards. Finally, there is no points system, but everyone tallies up their wins instead until a predetermined amount of wins is reached or until everyone decides to stop playing, upon which the player with the most wins wins the whole game.

[tylerfaubert]

It’s soo interesting because when I play with my family and friends, we play by very different rules. For example, someone discards a 6 of hearts and there is a 7 and 8 of hearts in the discard pile, the first one to notice calls out “Rummy!” And picks up those cards. Some other rules we play by are Aces are 15 pts, cards 2-9 are 5 pts, and at the end of the round the cards in your hands are negative from your total and don’t go to the person who won the round.

[bacjac]

Questions:
Can you pick up only the top card that is on the discard pile?
When a player goes out, do they get points for the cards they have already melded onto the table?
What about the other players' melded cards - do they each get those points?

[synterlu]

Really well explained, some other guides are very ambiguous but this leaves no room for ambiguity. Good job.

[aidanaimangozhina]

when you are cs student and watching this to complete your rummy assignment

[sarahgardner]

Very clear and to the point, great video thank you so much!

[justinbarker]

Everyone I’ve ever played this with has slightly different rules

[chrismcbr]

weird i was taught ace’s are 15 and you can only draw from the discard pile if it can immediately be used

[potatodrip]

This video is very helpful, my Aunt, Uncle and cousins are coming tonight, so this video helped me a lot.