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Declaration Rummy

for 2 to 10 people

Featuring the Gin Rummy-like Variation

Object
To have "low count" and "declare", or
to have "low count", or
to simply "go out".

Included Cards
52 like playing cards
plus 12 optional cards

Everyone unanimously chooses the number of cards to be dealt to each person:

for 2 or 3 people 2 to 10 cards,
for 4 people 2 to 7 cards,
for 5 or 6 people 2 to 5 cards,
for 7 people 2 or 3 cards,
for 8, 9, or 10 people 2 cards.

May use none, any, or all 12 of these optional cards:

COUNT 1, COUNT 2, COUNT 3,
COUNT 4, COUNT 7, COUNT 12

NO MELD 0 - value of 0 Not meldable.
"MAY" discard this card.

NO MELD 2 - value of 2 Not meldable.
May "NOT" discard this card.

CAN'T DECLARE 0 - value of 0 Not meldable.
"MAY" discard this card.

WILDCARD, WILDCARD, WILDCARD

A hand of cards played comprises an entire game.

Preliminary
1. Shuffle - One person to shuffle and deal must be unanimously agreed on. This person shuffles the cards.
2. Cut - The cards are cut by the person to the shuffler's right, only if they want to cut.
3. Deal - The dealer deals the person to their left a card or cards face up till a regular card, 1 of 52, turns up. The dealer continues clockwise till everyone has a regular card face up.

4. "The person who was dealt the highest regular card has to deal first." A king ranks highest, then Q, J, 10 to 2, A. To break a tie, spades are highest then clubs, diamonds, hearts.

5. The dealt cards are placed back with the undealt cards.

Shuffle, Cut, & Deal
1. Shuffle - The dealer shuffles.
2. Cut - The cards are cut by the person to the dealer's right, only if they want to cut.
3. Deal - The dealer, beginning with the person to their left, deals clockwise each person the "chosen number of cards to be dealt" face down, one at a time.

Stockpile & Discard Pile
The dealer places the rest of the cards face down between the players for the stockpile. The person to the dealer's left draws the top card of the stockpile to begin the first turn of the game.

Assuming the person does not "declare" or "go out", they discard a card face up placing it next to the stockpile which begins a discard pile. With more than one card in the discard pile, the discard pile is to be kept neatly stacked. No one is allowed to look back at any previous discards.

Basic Play
1. Draw the top card of the stockpile or the top card of the discard pile.
2. "Declare" (optional) or "go out" (if possible).
3. Discard a card face up (placing it carefully) on the discard pile.
4. People take turns clockwise.

Beginning Your Turn
The person to the dealer's left draws the top card of the stockpile to begin the first turn of the game. Then to begin your turn, you must either draw the top card of the stockpile or the top card of the discard pile.

A Meld is Simply a Group or Sequence
A meld is a group or sequence of 3 or more cards. A group is cards of the same rank, like 7, 7, 7.

A sequence is cards in a sequence of the same suit, like the 5, 6, 7 of hearts. For sequences, the cards rank--A, 2 to 10, J, Q, K, A. For example, A, 2, 3 of hearts and Q, K, A of diamonds are both valid. 2, A, K of hearts is not valid.

(Groups and sequences may not be combined. The "5, 6, 7 of hearts and 7, 7 of other suits" consist of either a sequence or a group.)

WILDCARDs (optional, use 0 to 3)
A WILDCARD may represent any regular card for a group or sequence, regardless of where the regular card is. Like 7, 7, WILDCARD. Or like ♡5, ♡6, WILDCARD.

A group or sequence may have any number of WILDCARDs. Like the group 7, WILDCARD, WILDCARD, WILDCARD. Furthermore 7, 7, WILDCARD, WILDCARD, WILDCARD, and 7, 7, 7, 7, WILDCARD are both valid melds. The group WILDCARD, WILDCARD, WILDCARD is valid.

COUNT Cards (optional, use any 0 to 6)
Any 3 to 6 COUNT cards is a COUNT card group. Any COUNT card(s) may be melded with any WILDCARD(s) for a 3 or more card group. Like a group, a COUNT card group may have any number of WILDCARDs.

All cards may be discarded to and drawn from the discard pile, except the NO MELD 2 card.

Declaring
A person after drawing along with the extra drawn card(s) who thinks their hand may have the lowest count of unmelded cards (or might tie), may lay down their hand face up. The person with the lowest count of unmelded cards wins the game. See table below. (You may declare regardless of any cards you have, except you may not declare with the CAN'T DECLARE 0 card.)

If two or more people have the same low count including maybe the declarer, then the person sitting furthest left from the person who played (drew) first wins.

"Going Out"
A person after drawing who "melds all their cards face up except maybe 1 card (any card)", wins the game.

Stockpile Exhausted
If someone draws the last card of the stockpile and does not declare or go out (discarding one card, of course), the game ends when a person in turn:
1. chooses not to draw from the discard pile,
2. declares, or
3. goes out.
The game also ends if:
4. everyone "unanimously" chooses a tie game because someone else could win if not.
If 1. or 2. above, the person with the lowest count of unmelded cards wins. For example, if your hand consisted of the "2, 3, 4 of hearts and 4, 4 of other suits", your total count would be 5, not 8, because you want a low count.

If two or more people have the same low count, then the person sitting furthest left from the person who played (drew) first wins.

FOR TOTALING UNMELDED CARDS

Each ace has a count of 1.
Each 2 through 10 has a count of 2 to 10.
Each jack, queen, & king has a count of 11, 12, & 13, respectively.

The COUNT 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 12 cards have a count of 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 12, respectively.

NO MELD 0 has a count of 0.
NO MELD 2 has a count of 2.
CAN'T DECLARE 0 has a count of 0.

Each WILDCARD (3 total) has a count of 0 if melded with at least two other cards, or 20.

Dropping
A person may drop out of the game if they have something else to do. They may drop at any time, before, during, or after anyone's turn. They may drop after they draw with the extra drawn card(s), or may discard then drop. They must make it very clear they are dropping and lay their cards face down, not to be seen by anyone for the rest of the game.

Everyone could "unanimously" choose a tie game. Like if there was only 1 card left in the stockpile and everyone was reluctant to draw it.

Stockpile Not Countable
The number of cards in the stockpile (& discard pile) may never be counted by anyone. You are only able to look and estimate.

A Match
If playing a match, the winner of a game plays (draws) first for the next game. Whoever wins 2 games wins the match. (The number of cards to be dealt, optional cards and variations may be decided on before each game.)

(If playing a match and there's a tie game, the same person plays first for the next game.)

Variations

Gin Rummy (very good variation)
A person may declare only after drawing along with the extra drawn card(s) and only with a count of 7 or less. (A person may not declare with the CAN'T DECLARE 0 card.)

Declare Bonus
When someone declares, their low count is decreased by 1. If their low count was 8, only 7 would be compared with each of the other's low count.

Going Out Major or Minor
After drawing, you must go out with every card in your hand. Or after drawing, one of your cards may not help you go out. Like you may have to go out with a 5-card meld, not a 3-card meld and 3-card meld. Though ♡2, ♡3, ♡4, ♡5, ♡6, ♡7 would be valid.

Declare or Go Out
The game is played till someone declares or goes out. Anytime the stockpile is exhausted, and the last person who drew discards, the discard pile except for the top card is shuffled by the same shuffler and offered to the shuffler's right for maybe a cut. These cards become the stockpile.

Three-Card Draw
There must be at least two cards in the discard pile. After drawing the top card of the discard pile, you may take your time then also decide or not to draw "both" the next card from the discard pile and the top card of the stock pile. If you do not go out or declare, you discard only one card.

Four 7's
If at or during your turn, you lay down face up all four regular, natural 7's, the game ends. You are the winner (regardless of having any other cards).

Spread-Out Discard-Pile
The discard pile is to be kept neatly spread out so everyone can always clearly see all the cards. You may draw any card from the discard pile. If there are any cards in the discard pile above the card you are drawing, you must also take up and place the extra card(s) in your hand.

Missing Cards

1. Everyone unanimously chooses which of the 12 optional cards are to be studied by everyone for so long as they want, and everyone unanimously chooses two numbers--0 to 12 and 0 to 7. (The unchosen optional cards are turned face down, put out of play, and are not to be seen by anyone for the rest of the game.)

2. Then the chosen optional cards are turned face down in a single pile. Everyone may shuffle. The first number chosen is how many of these cards are to be taken from the top facedown, put out of play, and not to be seen by anyone for the rest of the game.

3. The remaining optional cards while face down are placed within the other 52 cards. Everyone may shuffle. The second number chosen is how many cards are to be taken from the top facedown, put out of play, and not to be seen by anyone for the rest of the game. The game is played with the big pile of cards.

Seating
Under "Preliminary" the cards dealt determine who deals first, like usual, and "help determine seating":

The person with the lowest card chooses to remain where seated or chooses somewhere else to sit. The dealer must sit just to the right of this person and remain there.

Then the person with the next lowest card chooses an unchosen place to sit, and so on. If a person chose to squeeze between two others, it would have to be unanimous, or that person would choose again till that person chose a place. Only one place left is considered an unfortunate choice. (If playing a match, there is no change of seating after the first game.)

(Shuffle Option
If the cards are shuffled this way, they still need to be shuffled at least one other way. Deal clockwise in front of you, not to anyone else, 7 piles of cards, 1 card at a time. Then stack the 7 piles back into 1 pile.)

"Dropping out" above has nothing to do with school. If you did, find a way to keep studying. Or you "will be" sidetracked much.

Please begin to think and remember how such games do not favor a poor person for way too many reasons, "even if everyone is poor". Please don't gamble.

(c) 2022 John James Davidson. All rights reserved.