How to Play Rummy Game Online: Get Started with Few Rummy Rules

Read the points below to know how to play rummy online:

• A player is randomly chosen to begin the game.
• Each player is dealt 13 cards face down. The next card from the deck is placed face up on the table; this starts the discard pile/open deck. Rest of the cards are placed face down in the centre of the table; this is the stock pile/closed deck.
• A card from the stock pile is picked & placed face up. All the cards of that rank are considered as additional jokers or wild cards.
• The objective of the Game. The objective of the game is to form Runs (or sequences) and Sets. When a player has formed required runs and sets using all the 13 cards, the player can declare their game. A valid declaration must have minimum two runs with one pure run (called First Life). The second run can be pure or non-pure (called Second Life). Either First Life or Second Life must have 4 or more cards. The Play Rummy app has a 'declare' button. Once the objective is met the player can declare by clicking on the 'Declare' button.
• Once a valid declaration is made, all other players must form as many valid sets and sequences as they can with the cards in their hands. For these players all the unmatched cards are counted. Every player must meet the requirements of minimum two runs (First Life and Second Life) else all the 13 cards are treated as unmatched and are counted. When all the 13 cards are unmatched, the player is penalized with 80 points.
• Dropping If you drop from the game without picking a single card from the discard pile or stock pile, you get 10 points. If you drop in between a hand, before any other player has done a valid declaration, you get 30 points.
• After the points of all the players are calculated for all players, the winner takes home the prize money.
• Some Rummy Rules to remember. A sequence/run can also use a joker (wild card) as substitute for any missing card. Such a sequence is non-pure sequence. You can use only one joker in a non-pure sequence.
• A set consists of 3 or 4 cards of same rank but of different suits. or 2 (or 3) such cards and a joker.
• After each loss point is calculated for all players, the winner takes home the prize money.
• Three cards of same rank and same suit (except printed jokers) are treated as pure sequence/run.
• All the unused jokers can be placed separately while declaring and hold 0 points.
• This is how to play rummy game

A sequence is group of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit. According to rummy sequence rules, there are two types of sequences that are used in 13 card rummy games. A Pure Sequence and an Impure Sequence. To win rummy game you need at least one pure sequence. Know how to play rummy online with pure and impure sequences by understanding this rummy sequence list:

Pure sequence
5♥ 6♥ 7♥ are three consecutive cards of the same suit ♥
A♥ K♥ Q♥ J♥ are four consecutive cards of the same suit ♥
A♥ 2♥ 3♥ are three consecutive cares of the same suit ♥

However: K♥ A♥ 2♥ is not considered a valid sequence. For a set to be valid, it has to follow the sequence A,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J,Q,K,A in a loop and A,K,Q,J,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,A.

Three identical Cards: when playing with three 52-card decks, the three cards of same rank and same suit are treated as pure sequence/run. For example: 9♥ 9♥ 9♥ and J♠ J♠ J♠.

Impure sequence is when a printed joker or a wild card is used to create a sequence. Let's assume K♥ is a selected Wild Card.
4♣ 5♣ PJ 7♣ - here a printed joker has been used to replace 6♣.
4♣ 5♣ K♥ 7♣ - here the selected wild card K♥ has been used to build a sequence replacing 6♣.

When you start to learn how to play rummy game, it’s important to know that a valid declaration has a minimum of two sequences. There must be at least one pure sequence & one sequence of 4 cards.

First Combination: Both the sequences are pure
First Life         5♥ 6♥ 7♥
Second Life    A♥ K♥ Q♥ J♥

Second Combination: One of the sequences is pure and the other impure (considering J♠ is joker)
First Life         5♥ J♠ 7♥
Second Life    A♥ K♥ Q♥ J♥

Third Combination: One of the sequences is pure and the other is impure (considering J♠ is joker)
First Life         5♥ 6♥ 7♥
Second Life    A♥ J♠ Q♥ J♥

Three identical Cards: the three cards of same rank and same suit are treated as pure sequence/run. For example:  9♥ 9♥ 9♥. This too can be treated as a first life.
It is important to know about first and second life to learn how to play rummy online.

3 or more cards of the same rank but different suits are called a Set

Pure Set
7♥7♣7♦ are of different suits ♥ ♣ ♦
K♦ K♣ K♥ K♠ are of different suits ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥

However, if you know how to play rummy game, you would know that 7♥ 7♦ 7♦ is not considered a valid set. All cards in a set have to be of different suits. If two or more cards of the same suit are used to make a set of three or more cards, it is considered as an invalid set. (this is applicable in gameplays with 2 or more deck of cards). As you can see two of 7♦ has been used to declare the set.

Impure Set
A set can also be built with a Wild Card or a printed joker. Let us assume the Wild Card is K♥.

4♣ 4♦ PJ 4♥ - here a printed joker has been used to replace 4♠ in the set.
A♣ A♥ K♥ A♠ - here the selected wild card K♥ has been used to build a set replacing A♦.

Now that you have learned about sets & sequence, let’s learn about jokers so you know how to play rummy card game.

No matter how many cards in rummy you get, Joker is by far the most important one. It is important to know about jokers if you want to know how to play rummy game. There are two types of jokers used in rummy.

Wild Joker
A random card is selected at the beginning of each game & considered a wild joker. All cards of this rank can be used as a replacement to any required card after you meet the requirement of at least one valid sequence.

For example:
If 6♥ is selected as the wild joker, then 6 of any suit can be utilized as the wild joker. I.e. 6♥, 6♠ 6♦ 6♣ are all joker cards.
4♣ 5♣ 6♦ 7♣ - 6♦ has been used to form a sequence. This is an Impure sequence because even though it's a 6 it's not a 6 of clubs. 6♦ being a joker in this case.

4♣ 5♣ 6♣ 7♣ - 6♣ has been used to form a sequence. Even though 6♣ is a joker, is a joker, it’s considered a pure sequence because it belongs to the same suit. (this is possibly the worst placement with a joker considering it is blocked in a sequence reducing its value of wild card)

A♣ K♣ 6♥ J♣ - 6♥ has been used to form a sequence by replacing in it space of Q♣ . There this is an impure sequence using a joker.

Printed Joker (PJ)
Printed jokers also serve the same purpose since you can use them to replace any other card to form sets and sequences.

A♣ K♣ PJ J♣ - PJ has been used to form a sequence by replacing in it space of Q♣ . There this is an impure sequence using a printed joker.

A♦ PJ A♣ A♥ - PJ has replaced A♠ to form a set of♦ A♠ A♣ A♥

Note: If the Printed Joker is randomly selected as the wild joker, then A’s of all suits will become wild jokers. A♦ A♠ A♣ A♥ automatically become the jokers.

When you have arranged all the cards in your hand in proper sequences and/or sets & meet all the guidelines of a valid declaration, you need to declare the game by discarding one of your cards to the Declaring Slot. After that, arrange your cards in proper sequences and/or sets to show them to your opponents and wait for them to show their hands.
Note: Three identical Cards: when playing with three 52-card decks, the three cards of same rank and same suit are treated as pure sequence/run. For example: 9♥ 9♥ 9♥ and J♠ J♠ J♠.
Read all about declarations below to get an idea of how to play rummy in cards:

Here are a few examples of valid declaration that will help you understand how to play rummy online:
Example #1 Declaring with Pure Sequences and Sets
A♥ K♥ Q♥ J♥| 2♣ 3♣ 4♣ | 5♦ 5♠ 5♥ | K♥ K♦ K♣
This is a valid declaration as it meets the rules of the game.

• All the 13 cards are arranged in valid sequences and/or sets.
• There are two sequences - A♥ K♥ Q♥ J♥ and 2♣ 3♣ 4♣. The guidelines of having at least one pure sequence & one sequence of 4 cards has been met.

Example #2: Declaring with Pure and Impure Sets & Sequence Combo
This is an important example to know how to play rummy online.
K♦ is the Wild Joker
A♥ 2♥ 3♥ K♦| 2♣ 3♣ 4♣ | 5♦ 5♠ 5♥ | K♥ K♦ K♣
This is a valid declaration as it meets all the rules.

• All the 13 cards are arranged in valid sequences and sets
• It has a minimum of two sequences - A♥ 2♥ 3♥ K♦ and 2♣ 3♣ 4♣. Here, 2♣ 3♣ 4♣ is a pure sequence and A♥ 2♥ 3♥ K♦ is an impure sequence. Since all the guidelines are met, this is a valid declaration.

Example #3: Declaring with Pure and Impure Sets & Sequence Combo
PJ is the Wild Joker - (A♦ A♠ A♣ A♥)
PJ 8♥ 9♥ 10♥| 2♣ 3♣ 4♣ | 5♦ A♣ 5♥ | K♥ K♦ K♣
This is a valid declaration as it meets the objective of the game.

• All the 13 cards are arranged in valid sequences and sets
• It has a minimum of two sequences - PJ 8♥ 9♥ 10♥ and 2♣ 3♣ 4♣. Here, 2♣ 3♣ 4♣ is a pure sequence and PJ 8♥ 9♥ 10♥ is an impure sequence. The objective of the game is met of having at least two sequences, out of which one is a pure sequence and one has four in a sequence using the Printed joker or the Ace Card.
• The set 5♦ A♣ 5♥ is an impure set using the Ace card which automatically becomes the joker once the printed joker is selected to be the wild card. This is all you need to know if you want to know how to play rummy game.

Just like knowing about valid declarations, it is equally important to know about wrong declarations to know how to play rummy card game. Read the examples below thoroughly, because making a wrong declaration will cost you, no matter how many cards in rummy you get that are good:
Here are a few examples:
Example #1: Invalid Set
A♥ K♥ Q♥ J♥| 2♣ 3♣ 4♣ 5♣ 6♣ |6♦ 6♥ 6♥ 6♣

• A set is defined as a group of three or four cards of the same face value with different suits
• 6♦ 6♥ 6♥ 6♣ is an invalid set since it consists of two cards of the same suit 6♥.

Example #2: Declaring without any Sequence
3♦ 3♠ 3♥ 3♣ | 6♦ 6♠ 6♥ | A♥ A♣ A♦ | 5♦ 5♠ 5♥|

• As you can see, the above example has no sequences.
• A valid declaration must contain at least two sequences, out of which one has to be a pure sequence and one has to be a sequence of four.

Example #3: Declaring without Two Sequences
K♥ is the Wild Joker
A♥ 2♥ 3♥ 4♥ | 5♣ 5♠ 5♥ | 6♦ 6♠ 6♥ | 3♦ 3♠ 3♥ |

• There is only one sequence in this example.
• No second sequence is found with or without Joker.
• This is an invalid declaration, as there is no second sequence.

Example #4: Declaring without Pure Sequence
K♥ is the Wild Joker
A♥ 2♥ K♥ | 2♣ K♥ 4♣ 5♣ 6♣ |6♦ 6♥ 6♥ 6♣

• There is no pure sequence in this example.
• In order to make a valid declaration, there has to be at least one pure sequence (without Joker).
• Here, there are two impure sequences using the wild card and there is no pure sequence.

Example #5: Declaring without a Sequences of Four
This is a perfect example to know how to play rummy in cards without a big sequence:
K♥ is the Wild Joker
8♥ 9♥ 10♥| 2♣ 3♣ 4♣ | 5♦ 5♠ 5♥ |Q♥ Q♦ Q♣ K♥

• No sequence of four cards can be found in this example.
• In order to make a valid declaration, there has to be at least one pure sequence (without Joker) and another sequence (with or without Joker) with at least four cards.
• K♥ should have been placed with either of the pure sequence to make this a valid declaration.

Make sure you go through all the information given above if you really want to know how to play rummy online. Without knowing these complex rules, getting better at rummy will be hard. But once you understand all these intricacies of the game, you will definitely know how to play rummy card game.