How to Play the Original Card Game Behind Online Indian Rummy

Many card games have been taken online in recent years. There are advantages to this. For instance, you can simply log in and play using a smartphone or tablet wherever you are. This can be easier than carrying a pack of cards around with you.

The variety of games is good too. For instance, the old classic Indian card game Rummy is available to play using an array of different websites and apps. However, there is something special about playing this type of game offline and actually dealing cards out. You can join a long line of people throughout the history of Indian Rummy to enjoy a game with friends.

The history of Indian Rummy
According to English scholar David Parlett, all variations of Rummy have their origins in a game called Conquian which was first played in Mexico in the early 1800s.

Since those early days, the game of Rummy has developed its own paths with different variations of the game being created. Indian Rummy is one of these variations.

How to play Indian Rummy
Indian Rummy is one of the best card games to play with a group of friends. The game can be played with two to six players. If two or three people are playing, two 52-card decks and four jokers are used. The jokers are wild cards. Three decks of cards, and six jokers, are used if four to six people are playing.

It’s useful to know the full rules of the game before you play. Let’s take a look at the basics here. Each player is dealt 13 cards and the aim is to develop a hand of 13 cards that all form runs and sets. A run is a sequence of three or more cards that are all from the same suit. A set is a group of three or four cards that have the same rank.

In order for a player to successfully declare that they have won a hand of Indian Rummy, they need to have at least two runs. One of these runs must be ‘pure’. This means that it must not include a joker which is acting as a wild for another card.

Once a player has made a successful declaration, the cards of the other players are counted to ascertain their finishing score. A player must have a minimum of two runs in order to prevent all 13 cards from being counted. If all 13 cards are counted, the player loses 80 points from their overall score.

When cards are counted, the number cards have the value of the number on them. All face cards are counted as 10 points. The value of the cards is added to the winner’s score.

You can see that the game of Indian Rummy is a lot of fun to play. There are times when the best way to play is online, if you do not want the inconvenience of carrying cards around with you. However, if you are having friends around why not bring out the card decks and play the game the traditional way.

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