Objective
Lay down melds to score the cards in them. A meld is either a set (three or four cards of the same rank) or a run (three or more cards of the same suit in sequence). When someone goes out, everyone adds up what they have melded and subtracts what is still in their hand. Hands continue until a player reaches 1,000 points.
Two things set Arlington apart from other scoring rummies. Every 2 is wild, and the queen of spades is the most valuable card in the deck: 50 points on the table, and a 100-point hit if you are caught holding it.
Setup
Shuffle two standard decks together. Choose a dealer at random; the deal passes to the left after each hand. Deal 13 cards to each player, one at a time. Place the rest face down as the stock and turn the top card face up beside it to start the discard pile.
A 2 can stand in for any card in a set or a run, and you may also meld a set made only of 2s. A 2 can take the place of the queen of spades only in a run that is otherwise all natural cards.
How to play
Start your turn by drawing. You may take the top card of the stock, or you may take the entire discard pile. To take the pile, you must use its top card right away in a new meld that includes at least two cards from your hand. Lay that meld down first, then pick up the rest of the pile.
Next, meld any sets or runs you like, and add cards to melds you already have on the table. You may add only to your own melds, never to an opponent’s. Most tables cap sets at four cards, while runs can grow as long as the suit allows.
End your turn with one discard. Keep the discard pile squared up so only the top card shows. You may not discard the queen of spades unless it is the only card left in your hand.
The hand ends when a player gets rid of every card, either by melding them all or by melding all but one and discarding the last. If the stock runs out before that, turn the discard pile over (leaving the top card in place) to make a new stock and keep going.
- 1Draw from the stock, or take the whole pile by melding its top card
- 2Lay down new sets and runs
- 3Add cards to your own melds only
- 4Discard one card (the queen of spades only if it is your last)
Scoring
At the end of each hand, every player totals the cards they have melded and subtracts the cards still in hand. A bad hand can leave you with a negative score. The player who went out adds a 100-point bonus.
| Card | Melded | Left in hand |
|---|---|---|
| Queen of spades | 50 | −100 |
| Ace | 20 | −20 |
| King down to 8 | 10 each | −10 each |
| 7 down to 3 | 5 each | −5 each |
| 2 used as a wild card | Value of the card it stands for | −20 |
| 2 in a set of only 2s | 25 each | −20 |
Keep a running total across hands. The first player to reach 1,000 at the end of a hand wins. If two players cross 1,000 on the same hand, the higher total takes the game.
Variations
Easier pile pickups: some tables let you take the discard pile as long as you meld its top card at once, even if you use only one card from your hand or add it to a meld you already have down. Settle which rule you play before the first deal.
The joker: add one joker as a super wild card. It scores 100 when melded and costs 200 if it is caught in your hand. The player who melded it may later swap in the natural card it represents and take the joker back to use again.
Seven-hand Arlington: some modern rule sheets describe a different game under the same name, with a 105-card pack (one joker added), no discard pile (you offer your discard to the other players instead), and a going-out bonus that climbs from 100 in the early hands to 500 in the seventh. The highest total after seven hands wins.
Tips from the table
Get the queen of spades onto the table as soon as you can. You cannot throw it away, and holding it when someone goes out is a 150-point swing compared with melding it.
Use your 2s where they do the most work, such as opening a big discard pile or completing a run of high cards. A 2 left in your hand costs you 20.
Before you discard, look at what the next player has been collecting. Throwing a card that lets them take a fat discard pile can decide the hand.
When an opponent is down to two or three cards, start melding high cards even if you planned to build bigger. Points on the table are safe; points in your hand are not.
Video Guides Are on the Way
We’re filming Game Guides that walk through full hands at the table, from the deal to the score.
Frequently asked
Is Arlington the same as Oklahoma Gin?
No. Oklahoma Gin is a two-player Gin Rummy game where the first upcard sets the knocking limit. Arlington, also called Oklahoma Rummy, is a meld-scoring game much closer to 500 Rum.
Can I add cards to an opponent’s melds?
No. You may only extend melds you laid down yourself. That is one of the biggest differences from 500 Rum, where laying off onto anyone’s meld is allowed.
What is the queen of spades worth?
Fifty points when you meld it, minus 100 if it is still in your hand when the hand ends. You cannot discard it unless it is your last card.
Do I have to discard to go out?
No. You can go out by melding every card in your hand, or by melding all but one and discarding the last card.
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