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Simple Rummy

for 2 to 10 people

Object
To "go out", and/or
to end up with "low count".

Included Cards
52 like playing cards
plus 3 optional WILDCARDs

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 0 to 3 WILDCARDs:

WILDCARD - 3 total

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 "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. "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.

WILDCARDs may be discarded to and drawn from the discard pile.

"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 go out (discarding one card, of course), the game ends when a person in turn:
1. chooses not to draw from the discard pile, or
2. goes out.
The game also ends if:
3. everyone "unanimously" chooses a tie game because someone else could win if not.
If 1. 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.

Can't Be Caught with any WILDCARD(s)
If no one goes out and the game ends otherwise, any person "caught" with any WILDCARD(s) may not win the game. Though any WILDCARD(s) could have helped someone to go out and win. (If no winner and playing a match, the same person plays first.)

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, and 13, respectively.

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

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.

Go Out
The game is played till someone 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.

Sequences Rummy (3 to 7 WILDCARDs)
1. To go out, you must have at least two sequences. At least one must be a sequence without a WILDCARD--"a natural sequence".
2. (To go out, you must still meld all your cards except maybe 1 card. A group of only WILDCARDs is valid, and may be considered a secondary-type sequence to go out.)
3. To go out, you could have the "4, 5, 6 of hearts", "7 of hearts, WILDCARD, WILDCARD".

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, 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.

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.

(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.