Rummy - Cards, Rules & Logic

One of the most favoured card games in India, is 13 Card Indian Rummy. Most people have played the engrossing card-melding game at some point in their life. But did you ever wonder what’s the logic behind Rummy Rules? We’re going to enlighten our readers about it, however, before that, let’s know a little about rummy cards.

Rummy Cards

The game uses a standard deck of 52 cards and one printed Joker card. How many cards does each player get? The answer is 13 cards, and hence, the name, 13 Card Indian Rummy.

Rummy Rules & the Logic Behind

• ✦

  Rule - Random draw of cards

  Logic - It ensures that each player gets a fair chance, and there’s no scope of any discrimination, whatsoever.

• ✦

  Rule - Initiating the open pile

  Logic - It gives the player who gets the first turn a choice between the open card and the closed card. Don’t other players too get this choice? Again, this rule too is meant to rule out bias.

• ✦

  Rule - Pick first and drop later

  Logic - Just imagine what would happen if this rule were reversed, i.e., players were to discard first, and then, pick. Things would go topsy-turvy, depriving rummy of its status of a skill game, and rendering it a game of luck!

• ✦

  Rule - Players can drop the game

  Logic - It bestows flexibility upon the players, allowing them to calculate their winning prospects, and opting out of the game if they want, to restrict their loss to the bare minimum.

• ✦

  Rule - A pure run is mandatory

  Logic - It limits the Use of Joker cards, to give comparable opportunities to all the players, otherwise, the one with a good number of Joker cards, would instantly catapult to victory.

• ✦

  Rule - Use of an Ace in two ways

  Logic - Use an Ace as a card smaller than number 2 card or as a card bigger than the King to form valid runs. This rule is another one to boost flexibility, and an Ace fits the bill most aptly.

• ✦

  Rule - Wrong declaration penalty

  Logic - It encourages the players to play responsibly, and not act recklessly. It develops the habit of double-checking things.

• ✦

  Rule - If printed joker comes out to be the wild card joker, Aces are used as wild card jokers

  Logic - It is to make available enough Jokers in the game, lest it should sound lacklustre to players, or there should be a quest for the sole Joker. Why Aces? Next to Joker, an Ace is the most versatile card.

• ✦

  Rule - A Joker discarded by a player cannot be picked by any other player

  Logic - This rule adds charm to the game, as it creates a climax kind of situation by propelling other players to muse over the reasons behind their fellow player’s act of dumping a Joker. Also, it lifts the complexity quotient a bit.

• ✦

  Rule - Each card carries specific points

  Logic - It gives the rummy game a systematic approach, and helps to establish the hierarchy of cards. A run is a collection of consecutive cards. Without any point system, wouldn’t it be difficult to decide how to group cards?

The Concluding Rummy Logic

Ultimately, what we can deduce from all the above information, is that Rummy is a logical game of skills that is meant to be played by exercising your grey matter. Try your hand at the enthralling game, and experience the adrenaline!