What is Indian Rummy?
Indian Rummy is a classic game that has been beloved for centuries, and to this day, it remains the most widely played and popular game in India. It's often played during festive occasions and celebrations, and no such event feels complete without a round of this thrilling game. For example, families in some parts of Northern India consider it a tradition to play rummy during Diwali and other festivals, as it's believed to bring good fortune to the household.
Indian Rummy Glossary of Important Rummy Terminology
Let's explore and deepen our understanding of Rummy with the help of the following Rummy glossary explaining all rummy terms.
Dealer
In any card game, including Rummy, the dealer is responsible for distributing the cards. The dealer is determined through a process of card drawing among all the players at the table after each game. The player who draws the card with the highest value is chosen to be the dealer.
Deck
The deck refers to the complete set of cards used in a game of Rummy, consisting of 52 playing cards and one printed joker. Familiarizing oneself with the deck is an essential first step toward winning in Rummy. Each deck contains 13 cards of each of the four suits - Clubs, Spades, Diamonds, and Hearts.
Deadwood
In Rummy, unmatched cards or those that have not yet been arranged into valid sequences and sets are referred to as deadwood.
Melding
Melding is the process of organizing cards into valid sets and sequences in Rummy. This can be done during gameplay or after a player declares their game and submits their cards. Melding is a crucial step in forming a winning hand and reducing penalty points in a game.
Declare
When a player has organized all of their cards into valid sets and sequences according to the game's rules, they can press the Declare button. If the declaration is valid, that player wins the round of Rummy.
Discard
Players have a fixed number of cards in their hands. During gameplay, each player takes turns drawing one card and then discarding another from their hand into the open deck/discard pile.
Draw Pile/Closed Deck
After dealing cards to the players, the remaining cards are placed face down to form a draw pile or closed deck. During their turn, a player must draw a card from this pile. However, they may also choose to draw a card from the open deck or discard a pile.
Joker
In Rummy, the Joker is a valuable card. There are two types of Jokers - printed Joker and cut Joker. In addition to the standard 52 playing cards in a deck, there is an extra card with a printed Joker on it.
After dealing cards to all players, the remaining cards are placed face down, and a random card is picked and turned over to serve as the cut Joker. All cards of the same rank from all four suits also become cut Jokers. Both printed Jokers and cut Jokers can be used to replace any missing card when forming valid sequences and sets (excluding pure sequences, which must be formed without a Joker).
Rank
In Rummy, the term "rank" is used to refer to the value of a card. Each card holds a specific point value, and Rummy cards are typically ranked from 2 to 10. Additionally, there are four face cards (Ace, Jack, Queen, and King), each carrying 10 points in 13-card Rummy. The value of other cards is determined by their rank. For instance, the 2 of Hearts holds a value of 2 points, while the Joker holds no points.
Set
A set is formed when three or more cards of the same rank are arranged from different suits.
Sequence
Arranging three or more cards of consecutive rank from the same suit creates a sequence. It's worth noting that sequences can be pure, formed without a Joker, or impure, formed with a Joker.
Shuffle
Before the start of a new rummy game, the dealer thoroughly mixes all the cards by hand to ensure they are randomized. This process is called shuffling.
Hand
The hand refers to the cards that are dealt to a player, which they must arrange into sequences and/or sets.
Multiplier
In points, rummy games like 13 or 21 cards, each point that is played is assigned a specific rupee value known as a multiplier. Players can choose which multiplier value table they want to use for the game.
Top-up
In rummy, if you run out of chips while playing, you don't have to stop the game. You can use the top-up feature to continue playing at the same table. This feature comes into play when you have fewer chips than the buy-in value. There are two top-up options available - Auto and Manual. By default, the platform is set to Auto Top-up. With this option, the platform automatically deducts the required number of chips from your wallet so that you can continue playing. On the other hand, with Manual top-up, you can initiate the top-up process yourself. The Manual option allows you to top-up up to four times the value of the buy-in.
Full Hand
The main goal in Rummy is to organize all the cards in your hand into valid sequences and sets. The player who successfully achieves this first is declared the winner.
Sterling Joker
In 21 cards rummy, the card that is randomly selected from the undealt cards after all the players have received their cards is known as the cut joker or sterling joker.
Upper Joker
In 21 cards rummy, the card of the same suit as the cut joker but with a value one point higher is referred to as the upper joker, alternatively known as Upplu or Paplu.
Lower Joker
The card that shares the same suit as the cut joker/sterling joker and has a rank lower by one is referred to as the lower joker in 21 cards of rummy. This card is also commonly known as Nichlu or Taplu.
Value Cards
In 21 cards rummy, the sterling joker, upper joker, lower joker, Ace of Spades, and 2 of Clubs are referred to as value cards. Winning or losing these cards carries specific points.
Marriage Hand
Having the cut joker, upper joker (paplu), and lower joker (nichlu) in your possession constitutes a marriage hand, which can also be considered a pure sequence when melded together. A single marriage hand is worth at least 100 points.
Funtoosh
In 21 cards rummy, the printed joker is commonly referred to as Funtoosh. Additionally, 2 or 3 extra cards are included in the deck (depending on whether you're playing the 13 or 21-card variant), each bearing the image of a Joker and serving the same function as a regular Joker card during gameplay.
Value Cards
In 21 Card Rummy, the Ace of Spades and the 2 of Clubs are considered to be value cards that hold point values. However, they cannot be used as jokers, unless they are specifically designated as such in the form of Sterling Joker, Paplu, or Nichlu cards. It's worth noting that, apart from the Ace of Spades, 2 of Clubs, and Funtoosh, the other value cards can vary from game to game.
Trinala/Tanala
Due to the use of three decks in 21 cards rummy, it's possible to form a group of three cards that share both the same rank and suit. This combination is referred to as a tanala.
Example: Three 8 of Hearts cards arranged together in a group.
Dublee
Dublee is a combination of two cards that share the same rank and suit, or two joker cards.
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