Objective
Empty your hand by forming melds and laying them on the table. A meld is either a set (three or four cards of the same rank, like three nines) or a run (three or more cards of the same suit in order, like the 4, 5 and 6 of hearts). You can also lay off single cards onto melds that are already on the table. The first player with no cards left wins the hand.
Setup
Choose a dealer; the deal passes to the left after each hand. The number of cards depends on how many are playing: ten each for two players, seven each for three or four, and six each for five or six.
Put the rest of the deck face down as the stock and turn the top card face up beside it to start the discard pile.
How to play
The player to the dealer’s left goes first. On your turn, draw one card: the top card of the stock or the top card of the discard pile.
Next, if you can, lay down any sets or runs face up in front of you. You may also lay off cards onto any meld on the table, whether it is yours or another player’s. You do not have to meld just because you can; some players hold cards back for a bigger play later.
Finish your turn by discarding one card face up onto the discard pile. If you took the top discard this turn, you may not throw the same card back.
A player goes out by getting rid of their last card, either by melding it or by discarding it. That ends the hand. If the stock runs out before anyone goes out, turn the discard pile over (without shuffling) to make a new stock and keep playing.
- 1Draw from the stock or take the top discard
- 2Lay down sets and runs, or lay off on any meld
- 3Discard one card face up
- 4Go out by playing or discarding your last card
Scoring
When a player goes out, every other player adds up the cards still in their hand, and the winner scores that total. Cards already melded on the table do not count against anyone.
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| King, Queen, Jack | 10 each |
| Ace | 1 |
| 2 through 10 | Face value |
If you go out by laying down your whole hand in a single turn, without having melded anything earlier, you have gone rummy and your score for that hand is doubled. Play to an agreed target, often 100 points in a two- or three-player game. Some families skip the running total and settle each hand in chips, with every player paying the winner for the points left in their hand.
Variations
Boat House Rum and Queen City Rum change when and how you can go out, such as requiring you to meld your whole hand at once.
500 Rum scores the cards you meld as well as the cards you are caught with, and lets you take from deep in a spread-out discard pile.
Gin Rummy is the two-player cousin. Nothing is melded during play, and you end the hand by knocking with a low count of unmatched cards.
Around-the-corner runs: some groups allow runs that wrap past the ace, such as K-A-2. This makes runs easier and hands quicker.
Tips from the table
Watch the discard pile and what other players pick up. If the player to your left grabs a jack of spades, think twice before throwing the queen.
Do not wait too long to meld. A big hand looks great until someone goes out and you have to count every card against you.
Discard high cards you cannot use early in the hand. A king that never finds a partner is ten points against you.
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
Do I have to discard to go out?
No. At most tables you can go out either by melding your last cards or by discarding your final card. Some groups require a final discard, so check first.
Can I lay off on another player’s meld?
Yes. You can add cards to any meld on the table, yours or anyone else’s.
How many cards does each player get?
Ten each with two players, seven each with three or four, and six each with five or six.
What happens when the stock runs out?
Turn the discard pile face down to make a new stock, without shuffling, and keep playing.
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