Rummy
Overview
Rummy is a classic card game where players draw and discard cards to form melds — combinations of sets and runs. The first player to play all their cards wins the round.
Players
2–6 players, using a standard 52-card deck.
Setup
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2 players: Each player receives 10 cards.
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3–4 players: Each player receives 7 cards.
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5–6 players: Each player receives 6 cards.
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The remaining cards form the stock (face-down draw pile).
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The top card of the stock is turned face-up to become the upcard and start the discard pile.
Objective
Be the first player to go out by forming all your cards into melds and discarding your last card.
Melds
A meld is one of two types:
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Set (Book): Three or four cards of the same rank (e.g., 8♠ 8♥ 8♦).
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Run (Sequence): Three or more consecutive cards of the same suit (e.g., 4♣ 5♣ 6♣). Aces are always low (A-2-3 is valid; Q-K-A is not).
Gameplay
Players alternate turns. Each turn has three steps:
1. Draw
You must draw one card — either:
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The top card of the stock (face-down), or
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The top card of the discard pile (face-up).
2. Meld / Lay Off (Optional)
After drawing, you may:
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Meld: Place a valid set or run from your hand face-up on the table.
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Lay off: Add a single card from your hand to any existing meld on the table — yours or your opponent's — as long as the meld remains valid.
You may meld and lay off multiple times in one turn.
3. Discard
To end your turn, you must discard one card face-up onto the discard pile.
If you meld all your remaining cards (leaving nothing to discard), you go out immediately.
Reshuffling the Stock
If the stock runs out before any player goes out, the discard pile is shuffled to become the new draw pile, and play continues. This ensures the game can keep going as long as there are cards in play. The game only ends from an empty stock if the discard pile is also empty (no draw is possible).
Going Out
The round ends when a player goes out — they have melded or discarded every card in their hand.
Scoring
When a player goes out, each opponent totals the value of cards remaining in their hand:
The winner earns the total of all opponents' remaining card values.
End of Game
The game ends when a player goes out. The player with no cards remaining wins.