Rummy Rules — Complete Official Guide
Whether you are playing on Rummy Go, RummyCircle, or with friends at home, the core rules of 13-card Indian Rummy remain the same. This page serves as a definitive reference for all standard rules, scoring and penalties.
Core Rules Summary
- Each player receives 13 cards from 2 decks (108 cards total including jokers)
- Players must form valid sets and sequences from their 13 cards
- A valid declaration requires minimum 2 sequences, with at least 1 pure sequence
- Players draw one card (from open or closed deck) and discard one card each turn
- The first player to arrange all 13 cards and declare wins with 0 points
- Invalid declarations receive an 80-point penalty
Valid Sequence Rules
A pure sequence is 3+ consecutive cards of the same suit with no jokers (example: 3♥ 4♥ 5♥). An impure sequence allows joker substitution (example: 3♥ 🃏 5♥). Every valid declaration must have at least one pure sequence — this is non-negotiable.
Valid Set Rules
A set is 3-4 cards of the same rank from different suits (example: 8♥ 8♠ 8♦). Two cards from the same suit in a set make it invalid. Jokers can be used in sets.
Drawing & Discarding
On each turn, a player must: (1) Pick one card from either the closed deck or the open deck, (2) Discard one card to the open deck. The picked card and discarded card can be different or the same (if you pick from the open deck and decide it is not useful, you can discard it back — but this gives information to opponents).
Joker Rules
The wild joker is randomly selected each round. All cards of that rank become jokers. Printed jokers are always jokers. Jokers can replace any card in impure sequences and sets, but never in pure sequences. If you get the wild joker card itself (the exact card selected), it carries 0 points if unmatched.
Scoring & Points
| Scenario | Points |
|---|---|
| Winner | 0 points |
| Valid groups (sequences/sets) | 0 points for those cards |
| Ungrouped face cards (A, K, Q, J) | 10 points each |
| Ungrouped number cards | Face value |
| Invalid declaration | 80 points penalty |
| First drop (leaving before first turn) | 20 points |
| Middle drop | 40 points |
| Maximum points cap | 80 points |
Drop Rules
Players can choose to "drop" (fold) instead of playing. A first drop (before drawing any card) costs 20 points. A middle drop (after the first turn) costs 40 points. Dropping is a strategic choice when your hand is very poor — taking 20-40 points is better than risking 80.