Cards and deal (13-card Indian Rummy)
- 2 players use one deck plus 1 printed joker. 3 to 6 players use two decks plus 2 printed jokers.
- Everyone gets 13 cards. One card is cut face up: every card of that rank is a wild joker for this deal.
- The next card starts the open pile. The rest is the closed deck.
Your turn
Draw the top card of the deck or the open pile, then throw one card onto the open pile. A joker thrown on the pile can't be picked up.
Groups you need
| Group | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Pure sequence | 3 or more cards in a row, same suit, no joker standing in | 4♥︎ 5♥︎ 6♥︎ |
| Impure sequence | A run that uses a joker | 7♠ Joker 9♠ |
| Set | 3 or 4 cards of one rank, all different suits | Q♣ Q♦︎ Q♠ |
The ace can be low (A-2-3) or high (Q-K-A), but a run can't go round the corner (K-A-2).
Declaring
- After drawing, put your 14th card aside face down and show all 13 cards in groups.
- You need at least two sequences, and one of them must be pure. The rest can be sequences or sets.
- A wrong show costs 80 points.
Dropping and points
- You can drop out before you draw: 20 points as your first move, 40 later in the deal.
- When someone declares, everyone else counts their cards: A, K, Q, J = 10, number cards their value, jokers 0. Cards already in valid groups don't count if you have the required sequences. The most you can lose is 80.
- Points are bad: the lowest total wins. In Pool 101 and Pool 201, reaching the limit knocks you out.
Gin Rummy in brief
Two players, 10 cards each, no jokers. Draw and discard each turn. You can knock when the cards outside your groups add up to 10 or less, or go gin with every card grouped for a 25-point bonus. If the defender's loose cards are equal or lower than yours, it is an undercut and they score the bonus instead. First to 100 wins.
Tips
- Make your pure sequence first. Without it, every card in your hand counts against you.
- Throw high cards you can't use early, so they cost less if someone declares.
- Watch the open pile: what others pick up tells you what they are collecting.
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