Objective
Arrange your hand into sequences (three or more cards of the same suit in order) and go out by laying down all fifteen cards in one turn. There are no sets of a kind in this game, and no melding along the way. Each hand is settled in chips, and a session runs for as many hands as the table likes.
Setup
Shuffle the decks and jokers together. Choose a dealer, who deals fifteen cards to each player, three at a time. Place the rest face down as the stock and turn the top card face up to start the discard pile.
Give everyone the same number of chips before the first hand. The deal passes to the left after each hand.
How to play
On your turn, take either the top card of the stock or the top card of the discard pile. Then discard one card face up. That is the whole turn until someone is ready to go out.
Deuces and jokers are wild. Each one can stand in for any card you need in a sequence.
To go out, you must meld all fifteen of your cards at once, in one of only three patterns. After drawing, lay down the fifteen cards and discard your sixteenth. The hand ends immediately and the winner is paid.
- 1Draw from the stock or take the top discard
- 2Discard one card
- 3Build toward one of the three fifteen-card patterns
- 4Go out by melding all fifteen at once
| Pattern | Sequences |
|---|---|
| Five threes | Five sequences of 3 cards |
| Three fours and a three | Three sequences of 4 cards, one of 3 |
| Five, four, three, three | One sequence of 5, one of 4, two of 3 |
Those three shapes are the only legal ways out. A hand of three five-card runs, for example, does not count.
Scoring
Only the winner scores. Every other player pays the winner chips according to the winning hand.
| Item | Each player pays the winner |
|---|---|
| Going out | 1 chip |
| Each joker in the winning hand | 2 chips |
| Each deuce in the winning hand | 1 chip |
| Going out with no wild cards | 10 chips bonus |
| Going out on your first turn | 7 chips bonus |
| Going out on your first turn without drawing | 10 chips bonus |
| All fifteen cards in one suit | 10 chips bonus |
Agree before you start which bonuses your table uses. Play until a set time or a set number of deals, and whoever holds the most chips wins.
Variations
Seven-round contract version: many players use the name Continental for a contract rummy. Each of seven deals has its own required meld, such as two sets, then a set and a run, then two runs, and the lowest total after all seven deals wins. It is closer to Contract Rummy and Liverpool than to the classic fifteen-card game.
Point scoring: instead of passing chips, write down what each player owes the winner and settle up at the end of the session.
Bonuses off: some groups skip the bonus payments entirely and pay only for going out and for the wild cards in the winning hand. The game moves the same way; the swings are just smaller.
Tips from the table
Count to fifteen in your head. Before you keep a card, check which of the three patterns it fits. A hand that is fourteen cards of good runs and one stray card is not out.
Wild cards are flexible, but a natural hand earns a 10-chip bonus. If you are close without them, it can pay to wait a turn or two.
Watch the discard pile. In a multi-deck game the same card can appear twice, so a discard you just passed on may come back.
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
Can I meld sets of the same rank?
No. Continental Rummy uses sequences only. Three sevens of different suits are not a meld.
Can I lay down melds before going out?
No. Everything stays in your hand until you can go out with all fifteen cards at once.
How many decks do I need?
Two decks and two jokers for up to five players, three of each for six to eight, and four of each for nine to twelve.
Is this the same as the seven-round Continental?
No. The name covers two games. This article follows the classic fifteen-card version; the seven-round contract game is described under Variations.
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