Step 1
Deal thirteen each
One card at a time, clockwise, until every player holds thirteen cards face-down. The closed pile takes the rest.
Rules
From shuffle to show, in plain language.
A working walk-through of a 13-card rummy deal, written for an adult reader who has not yet sat at a paid table.
The order of a single deal
Six steps, one deal. Most confusion at the table comes from skipping one of them.
Step 2
Reveal the trump joker
A printed joker is slid under the closed pile. The card next to it, face-down, becomes the wild joker for the deal.
Step 3
Build your first meld
Arrange your hand into a pure sequence first. Without one, no amount of sets and runs will save the declaration.
The remaining three steps
The first three steps cover the deal and the meld. The next three cover the play.
The three valid groupings
A rummy hand is thirteen cards arranged into groupings called melds. There are only three.
Pure sequence
- Definition
- Three or more consecutive cards of the same suit, no joker, no wild card.
- Mandatory?
- Yes, every valid declaration must contain at least one pure sequence.
- Example
- 4 of hearts, 5 of hearts, 6 of hearts, 7 of hearts.
Impure sequence
- Definition
- A sequence that uses one joker or wild joker to substitute a missing rank.
- Mandatory?
- No, but a second sequence (impure or pure) is required.
- Example
- 4 of hearts, 5 of hearts, wild joker, 7 of hearts.
Set
- Definition
- Three or four cards of the same rank, different suits, with at most one joker.
- Mandatory?
- No, but it counts as the second grouping alongside the second sequence.
- Example
- 8 of hearts, 8 of clubs, 8 of spades (with or without a joker).
The drop decision
Dropping is the only move that lets you cut your loss. The cost depends on when you drop.
Drop costs
- First drop
- 20 points. The cheapest exit. Use it when your hand has no pure sequence and no joker to build one.
- Middle drop
- 40 points. Used after picking at least one card but before your turn to declare.
- Full show by a losing player
- Up to 80 points, based on the value of unmatched cards.
Frequently asked about the rules
The questions the desk hears most about the basic mechanics.
Thirteen. The deal continues until each player holds thirteen cards face-down, regardless of the number of seats at the table.
The wild joker changes every deal. A printed joker is slid face-down under the closed pile; the next card face-down becomes the wild joker for the deal. A few platforms use a fixed joker instead.
No. A pure sequence is consecutive cards of the same suit with no joker. A joker in the same suit makes the sequence impure.
The first valid declaration wins the deal. Most platforms require you to physically knock the table; the order of the knock decides the order of priority.
No. A-K-Q is not a valid sequence. Ace is high and low in separate rules, but never both in the same sequence.
Reading a sample show
A worked example, in plain language.
Imagine you hold: 4 of hearts, 5 of hearts, 6 of hearts, wild joker, 8 of clubs, 9 of clubs, 10 of clubs, 7 of spades, 7 of diamonds, 7 of clubs, King of hearts, Queen of hearts, Jack of hearts, Ace of hearts.
Sort the hand by suit. The hearts run from 4 to Ace. With the wild joker, the run is complete: 4-5-6-joker-8-9-10-J-Q-K-A is not consecutive, but with the joker standing in for the 7, the run becomes 4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K-A, which is a pure sequence of the same suit. The second grouping is the set of 7s (7 of spades, 7 of diamonds, 7 of clubs). No unmatched cards.
This is a valid show. The player wins the deal.
What changes if the joker is missing
If the wild joker is missing, the run has a gap at the 7 of hearts. The player needs to pick the 7 of hearts to complete the run. Without the pick, the show fails and the player pays the unmatched-card points.
What changes if a card is face-down
A face-down card at the show is an unmatched card. The player must arrange all thirteen cards face-up at the show; any card left face-down counts as unmatched and is added to the loser's score.
The pure sequence in detail
The single most important grouping.
A pure sequence is three or more consecutive cards of the same suit, with no joker and no wild card. A sequence of length three is the minimum; a sequence of length four or longer is better, because it leaves more cards free for the second grouping.
The suit does not matter for the value of the sequence. A pure sequence of hearts is the same as a pure sequence of clubs. What matters is that the sequence exists. Without a pure sequence, no other melds will save the show.
Why pure sequence first
A reader who builds a pure sequence first has a foundation. The second grouping can be an impure sequence or a set; either is fine. A reader who builds a set first has a problem: if the pure sequence does not arrive, the set cannot save the show.
The cost of skipping pure sequence
A show without a pure sequence is invalid. The player pays the maximum unmatched-card points, regardless of how strong the other melds look. The cost is plain, and the discipline is to commit to the pure sequence before any other grouping.
The joker in detail
Two jokers, two functions.
Every deck contains two printed jokers. In a 13-card rummy game, both jokers are in play, along with one wild joker. The printed jokers are zero-point cards. The wild joker is the card next to the trump printed joker, face-down, at the start of the deal.
The joker has two functions. Inside a sequence, it substitutes for the missing rank. Inside a set, it substitutes for the missing suit. Both functions are legal; only one joker per grouping is allowed. Two jokers in one set is an invalid declaration.
How to read the joker at the table
The joker travels clockwise. The first player to pick the joker from the open pile signals that the joker is useful to them. The discard after the pick signals what the joker is replacing. Reading this sequence is the most reliable signal at the table.
What the desk means by "valid show"
A valid show is the only thing that wins the deal.
A valid show arranges thirteen cards into the groupings the rules require: one pure sequence, a second sequence or set, and no unmatched cards. The player who arranges thirteen cards into a valid configuration first wins the deal; the other players' unmatched cards count at face value and are added to the loser's score.
An invalid show is worse than no show. The player pays the maximum unmatched-card points regardless of how strong the other melds look. The discipline is to verify the show is valid before declaring it.
How to verify a show before declaring
Verify the pure sequence exists. Verify the second sequence or set exists. Verify the count is thirteen. Verify every card is face-up. If any check fails, do not declare.
What to do if the show fails
If the show is invalid, the player pays the maximum points. The deal is over. The next deal starts. The lesson is the discipline: verify the show before declaring it.
A reader who has lost a deal to an invalid show rarely loses another. The lesson is sharp and the discipline sticks. The desk recommends practising the verification step on free tables before risking a stake.
Once the rules are clear, study the strategy.
The four habits in the strategy guide are the next step. Apply them across twenty deals and the table will start to read predictably.