Melds, the language of the show.
A meld is what you lay on the table at the show. Pure sequences, impure sequences and sets, the three building blocks of every valid declaration.
What a meld looks like
The three shapes every show is built from.
Reading melds at the show
When you declare a show, lay the melds side by side. Order does not matter; clarity does. A reader whose melds are easy to read is faster to settle, and the scorecard is settled in the same order every time.
The meld-pitfall checklist
Before declaring, walk through the checklist: pure sequence valid, second sequence or set valid, no card shared between two melds, no card of the wrong suit in the sequence, no Joker in the pure sequence. A reader who runs the checklist declares fewer invalid shows.
Splitting long sequences
A long pure sequence can be split into two shorter melds for the show. Splitting is rare; it usually only matters when you also have a set you want to declare, and you cannot afford to leave the extra cards unmatched.
How melds interact with the joker
A joker can substitute any card in an impure sequence or a set. A joker cannot substitute any card in a pure sequence.
The cleanest impure sequence
The cleanest impure sequence is one in which the joker replaces a card you cannot draw from the closed pile. A 4 6 with a wild joker of any rank becomes 4 5 6. The joker is the bridging card.
Sets with jokers
A set of three cards of the same rank with one joker is valid. A set of four cards of the same rank with two jokers is also valid on most platforms. Read the lobby for the platform-specific limits.
Pure versus impure sequence, with worked examples
The difference between the two, line by line.
A pure sequence is a run of three or more cards of the same suit, with no joker. An impure sequence is a run of three or more cards of the same suit, with at least one joker substituting for a missing card. The joker substitution is the only difference; the run length, the suit, and the rank order are identical.
Worked example: pure sequence
5♠ 6♠ 7♠ is a pure sequence of three. No joker. The sequence is valid because all three cards are spades, the ranks run in order, and the sequence has no joker substitution. Adding 8♠ makes it a pure sequence of four; adding 9♠ makes it five. A pure sequence of seven is valid on every platform.
Worked example: impure sequence
5♠ 6♠ Joker is an impure sequence of three, with the joker standing in for 7♠. The sequence is valid because the first two cards are spades in order, the joker substitutes the missing 7♠, and the rank order is preserved. Adding 8♠ makes it an impure sequence of four with one joker substitution.
Worked example: an illegal sequence
5♠ 7♠ Joker is not a valid impure sequence. The joker can substitute for 6♠ or for 8♠, but the rank order is broken; you cannot skip a rank in the sequence unless the joker fills the gap. A 5♠ 7♠ Joker sequence reads as "5♠, 6♠ (joker), 7♠" or as "5♠, 7♠, 8♠ (joker)". Both are valid substitutions; the player can choose which to declare.
Reading a meld at the show, in detail
What the table sees when a player declares.
When a player declares a show, the thirteen cards are laid out in front of the player. The melds are arranged side by side; the unmatched cards are placed in a separate group. The arrangement is a piece of communication; the table reads the arrangement to confirm the declaration is valid.
What the reader should check first
The first check is the pure sequence. The first meld on the table should be a pure sequence; if the first meld is an impure sequence or a set, the declaration is invalid. The second check is the second meld, which can be a pure sequence, an impure sequence or a set. The third check is the unmatched pile, which should hold only the cards that are not part of any meld.
How the table reads the joker use
The joker is the bridging card in an impure sequence. The table reads the joker use as the gap that has been closed. A reader who declares an impure sequence with two jokers in a five-card run is using the jokers to bridge two gaps; the run reads as "real, real, joker, real, joker" or similar.
When the table challenges a meld
A reader who has declared an invalid show can be challenged by any opponent. The challenge is logged in the table's scorecard; the invalid show pays the maximum to the challenger. The desk recommends that the reader run the meld-pitfall checklist before declaring to avoid the challenge.
Set versus run, and the printed-joker distinction
Two shapes, two mechanics, one rule book.
A set is a group of three or four cards of the same rank, in different suits. A run (whether pure or impure) is a group of three or more cards of the same suit, in rank order. A card cannot belong to both shapes; the choice is the player's, and the choice shapes the rest of the hand.
The set's suit rule
A set of three can use at most three suits. A standard 13-card deck has four suits, so a set of three will use three of the four suits. A set of four uses all four suits. A set of three with two jokers is also valid on most platforms; the platform's lobby will state the cap.
The run's joker rule
A pure run cannot contain a joker. An impure run can contain up to one joker per gap. A run of four with two jokers is possible on some platforms but not on others; the desk recommends reading the lobby for the platform-specific cap.
The printed joker and the wild joker
A printed joker is a card in the deck that is itself a joker; a printed joker can substitute any card in any meld. A wild joker is the card revealed at the start of the deal that designates a rank as a joker for that deal; a wild joker can substitute any card in an impure sequence or set. The two jokers are functionally similar but mechanically different: the printed joker is fixed, the wild joker changes per deal.
When a joker cannot substitute
A joker cannot substitute for a card in a pure sequence. A joker cannot substitute for a card that would complete a set without at least three distinct suits. A joker cannot substitute for the missing 14th card; the reader must draw the missing card or declare on an unfinished hand.
Meld versus show, and common illegal melds
When the language gets confused, the declaration goes wrong.
A meld is a group of three or more cards that satisfies one of the three patterns. A show is the full thirteen-card hand arranged into at least two melds, with any remaining cards unmatched. The meld is a unit of the show; the show is the unit of the declaration. A reader who confuses the two declares on a hand that has not been laid out into melds.
The two-card group
A two-card group is not a meld. Two cards of the same suit in rank order (for example, 5♠ 6♠) is not a run; the run requires a third card. Two cards of the same rank (for example, 7♠ 7♥) is not a set; the set requires a third card. The two-card group is left unmatched.
The double-suit run
A run that crosses suits is invalid. 5♠ 6♠ 7♥ is not a pure sequence because the suit changes mid-run. The desk has seen readers declare this hand as a sequence; the declaration fails the read.
The same-card-twice run
A run that uses the same card twice is invalid. 5♠ 6♠ 6♠ 7♠ is not a pure sequence because the 6♠ appears twice. The duplicate card is a mistake; the reader should discard the duplicate.
The joker-in-the-pure-sequence
A pure sequence that includes a joker is invalid. 5♠ 6♠ Joker 7♠ is not a pure sequence because the joker is a substitute, not a real card. The hand is an impure sequence at best; the reader cannot declare a pure sequence with a joker in it.
The five-card run split
A reader who has built a pure sequence of five (5♠ 6♠ 7♠ 8♠ 9♠) can declare the whole run as one meld or split it into two melds (5♠ 6♠ 7♠ and 8♠ 9♠ with one extra card needed). The split is rarely the right move; the desk recommends declaring the whole run as one meld and using the second slot for a sequence or a set.
Questions about melds
The questions the desk hears most about melds and the show.
No. The minimum is three cards per meld. A two-card run or pair is not a meld.
No. Each card belongs to one meld. A card reused across two melds is an invalid declaration.
No. The minimum is two melds. One meld and the rest unmatched is an invalid declaration.
Lay the meld, declare the show
A valid show rests on two melds, with the rest unmatched.