Online Indian Rummy Wiki

Before you start learning how to play rummy, it's important to get familiar with the different words and phrases used in the rummy game. This rummy wiki page has a complete list of all the terms used in the game. Knowing these terms is essential for understanding the rules and how to play rummy effectively.

To ensure a smooth learning process, we suggest that you go through and fully comprehend all the terminologies listed on this online rummy wiki page.

For better understanding, the terms are divided into 4 categories:

The Deck of Cards

1. 1. Deck:

   A deck of playing cards consists of 52 cards with 4 different suits and 2 jokers. In the rummy game, a deck refers to the entire pack of cards used in the game. It includes 13 cards from each suit and both the printed jokers and wildcard jokers.

2. 2. Suits:

   A deck of playing cards is divided into four suits, they are: diamonds, clubs, spades, and hearts. Each suit has 13 cards (Ace, 2-10, Jack, Queen, King) and is represented by a symbol or shape on the card.

3. 3. Spades:

   One of the four suits in a deck of playing cards. The spades suit is represented by a black symbol or shape resembling a pointed leaf or spade.

4. 4. Hearts:

   The Hearts is the second of the four suits in a deck of cards. A Red symbol or a shape resembling a stylized heart represents the Hearts suit.

5. 5. Clubs:

   It is the third of the four suits in playing cards. It is represented by a black symbol or a shape resembling a three-leaf clover.

6. 6. Diamonds:

   One of the four suits in a deck of playing cards. The diamonds suit is represented by a red symbol or shape resembling a diamond.

7. 7. Numbered cards:

   These are playing cards that have a numerical value on them. They are 9 cards and their value ranges from 2 to 10. In a standard deck of playing cards, there are four numbered cards for each suit, for a total of 36 numbered cards.

8. 8. Ace:

   Ace Card carries 10 Points in 10 Card, 13 Card, 21 Card and 27 Card Indian Rummy. It can be used to form a sequence with high cards like King, Queen and Jack and also with low-value cards such as 2, 3 and 4 but not at the same time i.e. Sequences cannot be wrapped around Ace Card. i.e. 2 – Ace – K will not be a valid sequence.

9. 9. Face Card:

   The King, Queen, and Jack cards of all suits are together called Face cards. In a standard deck of cards, there are 12 face cards.

10. 10. Printed Joker:

    Printed Joker is the designated Joker card with the symbol of a Joker in a deck. Typically, the word ‘JOKER’ is written on it. In a standard deck, there can be one or two printed jokers.

11. 11. Wildcard Joker:

    Wildcard Joker refers to the Card which is selected as Joker after all the cards have been distributed to the Players. A Random card is taken out from the closed pile and it becomes the wild card joker (same rank cards of all 4 suits). The Wild Card Joker acts like a Printed Joker and is used to complete a Set or an Impure sequence.

Types of Rummy

1. 1. Rummy:

   A card melding game that is played between 2 to 6 players. To win the game, you need to make valid sequences and/or sets. Players must make at least 2 sequences, with one of them being pure.

2. 2. Paplu Rummy:

   Paplu Rummy is the popular name by which Indian Rummy is referred to in many parts of India.

3. 3. Points Rummy:

   Points Rummyis a popular variant of Indian Rummy where players play for points that have a pre-decided value. This rummy variant is played between 2 to 6 players.

4. 4. Pool Rummy:

   A version of rummy in which players collect or ‘pool in’ money to play the game. It is similar to playing Points Rummy repeatedly. As and when a player touches 101 or 201 points, depending on the version, he/she is eliminated from the game. This continues till only one player is left, and this player is the winner.

5. 5. 101 Pool:

   It is a Pool Rummy Game format where every player who reaches 101 points is knocked out of the game. However, the player can re-join if no other player on the table has 79 points or more.

6. 6. 201 Pool:

   It is a Pool Rummy Game format where every player who reaches 201 points is knocked out of the game. However, the player can re-join if no other player on the table has 174 points or more.

7. 7. Deals Rummy:

   Deals Rummy is a variant of Indian Rummy where players play for a fixed number of deals. It is similar to playing Points rummy game for a fixed number of times.

   Here, each player gets a fixed number of chips at the beginning of the game, and each deal is played for a predetermined number of chips. The winner of each deal earns chips from the losing players based on the value of the cards left in their hands. At the end of the fixed number of deals, the player with the highest number of chips is declared the eventual winner.

8. 8. Best of 2 Deals:

   In this Deals Rummy Format, the final Winner is decided at the end of 2 Deals.

9. 9. Best of 3 Deals:

   It is a Deals Rummy variation in which the eventual Winner is declared at the end of 3 Deals.

10. 10. Best of 6 Deals:

    The Best of 6 Deals is a Deals Rummy Format where the final Winner is decided after playing 6 Deals.

11. 11. 10 Cards Rummy:

    A fast-paced variant of rummy in which each player is dealt with just 10 cards. The objective is to meld all your cards in sequences/sets and do a valid show before the opponents. The game is played between 2 to 6 players.

12. 12. 13 Cards Rummy:

    It is the most popular and most played variant of rummy played in India, 13 Cards Rummy is played between 2 to 6 players. Each player is dealt with 13 cards in the beginning, and the objective is the same as the above.

13. 13. 21 Cards Rummy:

    A rummy variant played with 21 cards, between 2 to 6 players. The game involves forming sets, sequences, tunnelas, or dublees with the cards in hand. This is a slightly longer version than 10 and 13 cards rummy.

14. 14. 27 Cards Rummy:

    As the name suggests, each player is given 27 cards. This version is also played between 2-6 players. The objective is the same as the other versions but it takes more time for a game of 27 cards rummy than the other 3 versions above.

Game Table Terms

1. 1. Practice Chips:

   Chips stand for the currency used for playing online Rummy at RummyVerse. Players are given 10000 Practice Chips in the beginning to play. These get refilled automatically upon tapping the refresh button.

2. 2. Closed Deck:

   A Closed Deck refers to the stacked cards kept face down from which players can draw one card during their turn. At the bottom of the closed deck, there is a wild card which is kept face up. It is also called the closed pile.

3. 3. Open Deck:

   Open deck, also known as the Discard Pile, refers to the discarded set of cards kept face up next to the closed deck. The player can choose to draw the topmost card from the discard pile during his/her turn.

4. 4. Deal:

   The process of distribution of cards to all the players at the beginning of the game is called a Deal.

5. 5. Dealer:

   The person at the table who deals out the cards to all the players is called the Dealer. The outcome of the toss at the beginning decides which player gets to be the Dealer.

6. 6. Sequence:

   A collection of at least 3 consecutive cards of the same suit. This sequence can go up to 10 cards. There are 2 sub-types: Pure Sequence and Impure Sequence.

7. 7. Impure Sequence:

   An Impure Sequence is one in which one or more joker cards (Printed and Wild joker) is/are used to make a series of three or more cards. The Joker card may or may not belong to the same suit as all the other cards in the Impure Sequence.

8. 8. Pure Sequence:

   A Pure Sequence is a group of three or more cards arranged in a series belonging to the same suit. In this type, no Joker card is used.

9. 9. Set:

   A Set is a group of three or four cards all of the same rank but belonging to different suits. You can use one or more joker cards to complete your set. But even then, the total number of cards in a suit should not exceed 4. A set of 5 cards is invalid.

10. 10. Hand:

    The cards that a player gets at the beginning of the game to be formed into relevant sequences/sets. Whatever cards a player holds (depending on the rummy variation: 10 cards rummy, 13 cards rummy, 21 cards rummy), are referred to as his/her hand.

11. 11. Unmatched Cards:

    Unmatched cards are the ones that are not melded into any sequences or set. They are also called idle cards. When a player declares, the loss of other players is calculated by counting the points of their unmatched cards.

12. 12. Deadwood:

    The winner of the game arranges all his/her cards into valid sets and sequences. The cards which were unable to be melded together by the rest of the players are known as 'Deadwood'.

Other Rummy Terms

1. 1. Buy-In:

   The amount that the player has to pay to enter a Tournament is known as Buy-In. It is also known as the Entry Fee.

2. 2. Free/Practice Game:

   A Rummy game which is played with practice chips. Players can play as many free games as they want.

3. 3. Cash Game:

   A cash game is a game in which the player makes use of real Ccips/real money to play. Hence, here the winning prize money is also real.

4. 4. Rummy Tournaments:

   These tournaments are similar to tournaments in other games and sports, attracting rummy players from all over the country. The winners from different tables move on to the next round, providing an exciting and thrilling experience. They are also known as tourneys and can be either Freeroll or Cash tournaments.

5. 5. Freeroll Tournaments:

   These are Rummy Tournaments that don't require players to pay any entry fees. Just a one-time deposit is enough to make a player eligible to participate in them. If a player wins, the prize money gets added to his/her account, and if he/she loses, nothing is deducted from the account. These tournaments generally see a high level of participation from players.

6. 6. Cash Tournaments:

   These are Rummy Tournaments that require players to pay a fixed entry fee to join and play. The entry fee differs from tourney to tourney. Compared to Freeroll tournaments, cash tournaments see less competition, making it easier to win.

7. 7. Point Value:

   Point Value is a pre-fixed value in a Points Rummy game that determines the final winnings of the player. The winnings are calculated using the following equation: Winnings = (Sum of all points that opponents get) x (Point Value) – Rake.

8. 8. Rake:

   Rake refers to the commission charged on each player's table by the rummy platform.

9. 9. Shuffle:

   Shuffling is the act of mixing together a set of playing cards to introduce randomness into the game. On RummyVerse, shuffling is done by a certified Random Number Generator (RNG) software.

10. 10. Draw:

    Upon their respective turns, players have to pick a card from the open or closed deck. This activity is termed as Draw.

11. 11. Discard:

    The act of dropping a card is called Discarding. Whenever a player picks a card, he/she is also supposed to ‘discard’ a card to the open pile.

12. 12. Turn Time:

    It refers to the time allotted to each player to complete his turn in an online rummy game. In addition to that, players will be given a fixed time in the whole round as ‘extra turn time’. Players will be able to utilise this extra turn time in parts when they play in rounds.

13. 13. Meld:

    Any possible combination i.e. any sequence or a set is called a Meld.

14. 14. Melding:

    The act of forming relevant sequences and/or sets from the cards you get is called Melding.

15. 15. Points:

    Each card has a certain value in points. For number cards, it is the same as their number or face value. The face cards of Jack, Queen King and the Ace cards carry 10 points each. Points have a negative value. The player who successfully melds all his/her cards first gets zero points and is declared the winner.

16. 16. Drop:

    Players have the option to Drop out of the game by clicking the Drop button. Players can choose to drop in the 1st round or in any of the middle rounds. But for dropping out, the player will get a penalty of points.

17. 17. First Drop:

    When the player chooses to drop out of the game before playing the first round, it is called the First Drop. Here, the player incurs 20 points for dropping out.

18. 18. Middle Drop:

    During the game, at any time after playing the first round, when the player drops out of the game, then it is called the Middle Drop. In this case, the player will be penalised with 40 points.

19. 19. Full Count:

    A Full Count refers to the maximum number of points that a player can get in any game, irrespective of the total value of cards in his hands. A full count is 80 points.

20. 20. Show/Declare:

    When a player accomplishes the goal of the game, i.e. melding his/her cards into valid sequences/sets, he/she finishes the game by discarding a card to the finish slot. A Show refers to this act of declaring the melded cards. The player clicks on the Show button when he/she is confident of having grouped all his/her cards into proper sets and sequences as per the rules.

21. 21. Valid Show:

    A Valid Show happens when the player has melded all their cards into proper sequences and sets as per the rummy rules. The player’s cards must contain a minimum of 2 sequences, one of which is a pure sequence, for a valid show.

22. 22. Invalid Show:

    When a player declares his/her cards but not all of the cards are melded into proper sequences/sets; he/she hasn’t formed 2 sequences, one of which is a pure sequence, then it is termed an Invalid Show.

23. 23. Winner:

    The player who successfully melds his/her cards into proper sequences/sets and declares before any opponent, becomes the game's winner.

Now that you have a good understanding of the rummy terminologies, you are in a good position to start learning how to play rummy.