Welcome to Rummycircle.com – your one and only destination for all there is to know about Rummy. Here we aim to simplify India’s most popular card game – Rummy in a way that everyone – young or old, amateur or experienced can get a grip of online rummy in a jiffy and can start playing right away!

What is Rummy?

Rummy is a card game that enjoys world-wide popularity. This game can be played between 2 or multiple players. There are many versions of rummy like Indian Rummy, Gin Rummy, Rummy 500 etc and all versions have some similarities. The exact origin of the game is not known but it is believed that various versions evolved from a single one and went on to become refined and diversified as the game spread to different regions. Indian rummy is a 13 card game.

Rummy Glossary – Get to know the rummy terminology

The Deck: A simple pack of 52 cards. Cards in each suit rank, from low to high in this order: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King.

Dealer: The player who gets to play last.

Closed deck: cards that remain after distribution.

Set: 3 or more cards of the same face value. Eg: 2 ♥ 2 ♠ 2 ♣

Sequence: 3 or more running cards of the same suit. Eg: 6 ♥ 7 ♥ 8 ♥

Joker: Randomly selected card that can be used in place of any other card. A player can use one or more jokers to complete/fill your sets and sequences. Eg: 6 ♥ 7 ♥ 7 ♥, where 7♥ is the joker.

Pure sequence: A sequence without a joker.

Round: Part of the game starts with Dealing cards and ends with Show

Declare: Time when player has successfully arranged all 13 cards as per the rummy rules and has to show the cards. To declare in a game of rummy, a player must have 2 sequences at least one of which must be pure.

Game Objective: To arrange all 13 cards in hand into sets and/or sequences.

How to play Rummy

Rummy rules and method of game play remain essentially the same whether playing the Rummy online or offline. Each player is dealt a set of 13 cards randomly. A toss is done to decide which player makes the first move. First card from the pack is placed in the open deck indicating that the game has started.

Remaining cards are placed face-down in the closed deck slot. The objective of a rummy game is to arrange all 13 cards in hand into sets and/or sequences. Once a player has met the game objective, he/she can declare the game finished. The player who declares should ensure that he/she has a valid declaration i.e. this player must have 2 sequences at least one of which must be pure.

Indian Rummy Rules: click here for a brief tutorial on rummy rules.

Types of Online Rummy Tournaments

One can play rummy online for free or for cash. The types of rummy tournaments are:

Cash tournaments: Entry fee and prizes are in real cash. Different rummy sites have different entry fee structure and rummy for cash is the preferred choice of seasoned rummy players as it gives them the excitement of the real deal!

Practice tournaments: Entry fee and prizes are in practice chips or virtual cash. Most rummy sites offer unlimited practice tournaments to players so that they can get acquainted with the online platform and also brush up their rummy skills.

Common Variants of Rummy offered Online

a) Knock-out Tournaments: This is a 13 card rummy game players amongst 2 players. The game is played with 1 pack of 52 cards. This game is played in a knock-out format.

b) Points Rummy: Points Rummy is very popular amongst rummy lovers. It is also known as Strikes Rummy or Stakes Rummy. It can be played amongst 2 to 6 players using 2 or more packs of 53 cards each (including one printed joker per pack).

The rummy rules and method of game play remain much the same as in tournaments, except that if a printed joker is selected as joker for a game, then players can also use Ace card of any suit as a joker in their sets and / or sequences. Another point to be considered is that with two decks, the same card can not be used twice in a set. For instance 2♠2♥2♥ is not a valid set.

     Highlights of Points Rummy

• Points Rummy signifies more thrill, more players and of-course more cash to be won.
• It has an engaging game format where none of the players know till the end that how much they’d win or lose. This keeps everyone on the edge and glued till the end!
• One can play with up-to 6 players on a single rummy table.

Pool Rummy: Pool Rummy is another widely popular rummy variant that recreates the magic of a local rummy club online! It is also known as Syndicate rummy. In Pool Rummy players pay a fixed entry fee which forms the prize pool. Winner of every deal gets 0 points and the rest accumulate points which are added to their score.

A player is eliminated once their score reaches the maximum limit of points on the table. For example: In a 101 pool, a player is eliminated once his score reaches 101 points and likewise for a 201 Pool. The rummy rules and method of game play remain essentially the same in Pool Rummy as in tournaments and Points Rummy, save for some new features.

How to make a payment on online rummy sites?

Most rummy sites offer easy, standard steps to make a payment and the payment gateways used are 100% safe and secure. One can pay using credit/debit card or net banking. Some sites also have the cash on delivery option wherein a player can order scratch cards of a desired value and pay only when the card reaches his doorstep. While withdrawing money from these sites, one can easily choose to withdraw through cheque or ECS.

Is it legal to play rummy for cash?

The answer is a resounding YES! In year 1968, the Honb’l Supreme Court of India declared rummy to be a game of skill. And it is legal to play games of skill for real money. In year 1957, the Supreme Court stated that prize competitions which involve substantial skill are business activities that are protected under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution of India.