Best Online Rummy Sites & Win Rummy in India

How to Play Basic Rummy

Rummy requires between two and six players to play and uses a regular deck of 52 playing cards. When players sit down for a game of Rummy, the first matter to decide is to declare a dealer. This is done by means of draw. In the draw, each player takes a card from a shuffled deck and the player who draws the lowest card will be the dealer.

The dealer then shuffles up and deals clockwise around the table. The amount of players playing in the hand will determine how many cards each player receives. For example, if there are two players in the hand, players are dealt 10 cards, but if there are three or four players taking part then each player receives seven cards. In the case of five or six players, the amount of cards dealt is six.

When the players have their cards, the rest of the pack is placed face down in the middle. In Rummy, this stack of cards is called the stock. Next to this a second pile will be built and this called the discard pile. The discard pile begins by taking the top card from the stock and flipping it face up to form the new pile. If, as can happen, the stock runs out during the game, the discarded cards can be reshuffled and used as stock.

When this is ready, the game continues, and the player sitting to the left of the dealer draws one card from either of the two piles on the table. The goal of the game is to be the first player to get rid of your cards. This can be achieved in three ways, melding, laying off or discarding. Melding is optional, and this is done by making a run of cards, which can then be removed from a player’s hand and laid face up on the table. This is where players are holding three or more cards of the same suit in either a match, say three 3s, or in a sequence. 

Another way to get rid of all your cards is to lay off and this is where players shed cards by adding them to existing melds already on the table. Obviously, this can only be done if the sequence fits. It can however be done an unlimited amount of times unlike melding which can only be done once a turn. 

The final way to eliminate cards is discarding where players select a card to be added to the discard pile at the end of a turn. Once a player has successfully emptied their hand, the game stops and the other players – those still holding cards – add up the values of the cards they have left, with Aces worth 1 point and face cards 10. The sum of these points is then attributed to the player who was the first to get rid of their cards.

Rummy Rules

There are a few rules in place to ensure a game of Rummy is played fairly. Rules such as players are not permitted to pick up off the top discard pile before returning the card.

Should a player accidentally pick up two cards from the stock and look at them then the bottom of the two, the illegal extra card, must be returned to the pile for the next player. The next player can then use that card if they wish or put it back into the middle of the stock and before taking the next card from the stockpile.

If you pick a card from the stock that you do not want, you must keep it before trying to get rid of it later.

Playing Rummy on Online Rummy Sites

In 1968, Rummy was declared a game of skill by the Honourable Supreme Court of India. This means that it is 100% legal to play online for real money in most states, save for Telangana, Andhra, Odisha, Assam, Nagaland and Sikkim. 

This is most fortunate because Rummy is one of the most popular household games in India and, where once people needed to enjoy the game in the physical presence of others to enjoy a game, today all that is needed is a device and an internet connection which is why playing Rummy online and online Rummy betting have become so massively popular.

Best Online Rummy Apps

As in most cases when gaming online, specially designed apps for your smartphone, like cricket betting apps, can make the whole process much easier and convenient. Well the same is true when playing online Rummy where mobile apps allow easy access to the best online rummy experience. Which betting sites offer online rummy apps?

• 1xBet
• 22Bet
• Bet365
• ComeOn!
• Royal Panda
• LeoVegas
• Casumo
• 10Cric

Rummy Variants

As very often happens with card games, when they spread to new lands new variant types develop. The same is entirely true of Rummy and below we have outlined a few of these.

Indian Rummy (Paplu)

Indian Rummy, or Paplu as we know it, is one of the most popular card games for Indians. It is played like classical Rummy except that each player starts with 13, 10 or 21 cards depending on which format of Paplu they are playing. It is a hybrid of the popular American formats Gin Rummy and Rummy 500 (see below). In Indian Rummy, players form hands of 13, 21 or 10 cards by drawing and discarding cards in order to make sequences and sets. If there are a larger number of players then two decks are used otherwise the game is played with one deck including both jokers.

Rummy 500

In Rummy 500, two decks are used with each player being dealt seven or 13 cards depending on the number of players in the game, with as many as eight players in a hand. In this variant, players lay down their melds as they are made and furthermore these melds can be added to as the game progresses. To win, a player must score a total of 500 points and points are scored by the sum of the value of the melds made by a player.

History of Rummy

There are more than a few theories on the evolution of Rummy into the game we know today but the most widely accepted is that it was born from the Spanish game Conquian, a card game for two players, that was brought to the new world, or Mexico in particular, by Spanish migrants. 

From there, it raged in popularity, spreading throughout America during the nineteenth century. By 1909, in New York City, Elwood Thomas Baker and his son Charles Graham Baker invented Gin Rummy, with the alcoholic beverage of rum being the stake a bit like whiskey poker. Since this early prototype, the game has developed into numerous variants across the globe as the game has blossomed in popularity.

Rummy Tips

When you play Rummy, there are a few strategies to keep in mind to help you achieve better results with this game of skill.

Practise Your Game

It sounds obvious but practise the game to get better at it. Most people think practice makes perfect; this is so wrong if you are continuously making the same mistakes. Over time, these mistakes will become ingrained so you must practice doing the right things. This way you will eventually get better at it and perhaps master it.

Perfect Your Game With Free Play Rummy

If you need to, don’t rush to play real money Rummy online and try some free play games instead. Like other skill based card games such as poker, they might be very easily understood but can take a long term to master.

Ensure Good Bankroll Management

It is important also to look after your bankroll. There are two common ways players can damage their bankroll and one is to get ahead of themselves when they are winning and the other is to chase losses. Avoid both and remain focused and sensible in your betting limits. When you are ready to start playing for real money, keep those stakes small. Again, like poker, there will likely be sharks looking for newcomers such as yourself.

Study Your Opponents

When actually playing Rummy online, pay attention to what the other players are doing and more specifically, what they are discarding and picking up. This way you can work out, over time at least, what they might be holding. When playing online, remember to take a peek at the discarded cards to give you an idea of what cards are in play with your opponents. 

Also, unless you have meld or can make a meld, then ditch the higher value cards that are closer to the Joker. If you are left holding them, their higher value can work against you at the end of the game. Likewise, the cards closest to the Joker can be discarded early on as these cards are less likely to make a sequence.

Remember, You Can Bluff In Rummy

In Rummy you do have the ability, if you are skilled enough, to bluff and mislead your opponents. You can bluff in Rummy if you have a very weak hand by discarding low value cards and selecting new ones giving your opponent the impression that you have a strong hand and perhaps forcing them to fold.