Official Rummy Rules

Last Updated on March 17, 2026 by The Official Game Rules Team

Traditional Rummy is a classic card game that involves skill, strategy, and a bit of luck. Players aim to form sets and runs from their hand of cards to win the game. It’s a fun, competitive game that can be enjoyed by players of all ages. The most popular variation is Gin Rummy, if you want to learn more about the differences between the two, make sure to check out this article for the explanation.

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How to Play Traditional Rummy

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Players

Rummy is ideally played with 2 to 4 players, but it can accommodate up to 6. Players can agree to either play a fixed number of deals or compete to reach a target score, both of which should be decided before the game starts.

The Deck

A standard 52-card deck is used, with the cards ranked from low to high as follows:

• Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King

The Deal

The first dealer is chosen at random, and the turn to deal alternates between players. In a two-player game, each player gets 10 cards, while in a three- or four-player game, each receives 7 cards, and in a five- or six-player game, each receives 6. The cards are dealt one by one, with the next card placed face-up to begin the discard pile. The remaining cards form the stock, placed face down.

Object of the Game

The goal of the game is to get rid of all the cards in your hand by melding, laying off, or discarding.

• Melding: Combining cards into sequences (runs) or groups (sets) and placing them face up on the table.
  • A sequence or run is 3 or more consecutive cards of the same suit (e.g., 4♣, 5♣, 6♣).
  • A group or set is 3 or 4 cards of the same rank (e.g., 7♦, 7♥, 7♠).
• Laying Off: Adding cards to a meld on the table. You cannot rearrange existing melds to add cards.
• Discarding: Placing a card from your hand on top of the discard pile.

Play

If there are two players, they alternate turns, starting with the non-dealer. For more than two players, turns are taken in clockwise order, beginning with the player to the dealer’s left. Each turn has the following steps:

1. Draw: Draw one card from either the stock or the discard pile. The stock is face down, while the discard pile is face up.
2. Meld: If you have valid sets or sequences, you may place one combination face up on the table. Melding is optional.
3. Lay Off: Optionally, you can add cards to existing melds.
4. Discard: At the end of your turn, discard one card onto the discard pile. If you drew from the discard pile, you cannot discard the same card. You must discard a different one.

If the stock is exhausted and no player wants the top card of the discard pile, the discard pile is reshuffled to create a new stock.

A player wins when they discard all their cards or complete all their melds, which is known as “going out.”

Scoring

When a player goes out, the other players calculate the value of the cards left in their hands:

• Face cards (K, Q, J) are worth 10 points each.
• Aces are worth 1 point each.
• Number cards are worth their face value (e.g., a 6 is worth 6 points).

The total value of the remaining cards in all other players’ hands is added to the winner’s score.

The game continues until a player reaches the pre-agreed target score or the set number of deals is completed.

Optional House Rules

• Multiple Melds: Some allow players to lay down as many melds as desired in one turn.
• Going Rummy: If a player lays down all their cards in one turn, they may receive a bonus or double the score for the hand.
• Laying Off: Some rules require players to have laid down a meld before they can add cards to other players’ melds.
• Ace High or Low: Aces are usually low (A-2-3), but some rules allow them to be high (Q-K-A) or both (A-2-3 and K-A-2).
• Last Discard: Some rules require the last card to be discarded for a player to win.
• Stock End: In some variations, when the stock is exhausted, the discard pile may be reshuffled, or players may end the game if no one wants the discard.

Scoring Variations

In some versions, the losers score penalty points for the cards left in their hands. The player with the lowest score after reaching a target of 100 or more wins. Alternatively, players may settle with a payment system based on the difference in points.