A Beginner’s Guide to Points Rummy and Deals Rummy 

Almost everyone loves playing Online Rummy. People love it because the game combines strategy and skill and can be played anytime and anywhere.

Apart from that, there are many variations of the game, such as:

• Points Rummy
• Deals Rummy
• Pool Rummy
• Gin Rummy
• Indian Rummy

So there is something to suit everyone’s taste

In today’s post, we will talk about Deals and Points Rummy.

Points Rummy

This online Rummy variant can be played among 2-6 players. So you will need one to two card decks depending on the number of players. As in every other Rummy variant, you must select a dealer first.

Everyone should draw a card by pressing the draw button to select the dealer. The player who gets the lowest-value card becomes the dealer for the game. A button highlights the dealer. Then to begin, the dealer hands each player 13 cards.

The remaining cards form the draw pile from which you can draw cards during online Rummy. The topmost card from this pile is kept face up to form the discard pile.

How to Play a Round of Points Rummy?

The player on the dealer’s immediate left starts the round by:

• drawing a card from the draw or discard pile, or,
• discarding a card from their set of given 13 cards.

If you draw a card from the discard pile, then you must discard one of your existing cards.

When you draw/discard a card, your objective should be to form valid sequences/sets. A set is a combination of three or four more cards that have the same face value or rank. They may or may not belong to the same suit. For example, if you combine three Number Four cards, you will have melded (grouped) a valid set.

A sequence is a combination of three or four consecutive cards that belong to the same suit. Suppose you have the following cards:

• Number Six
• Number Seven
• Number Eight
• Number Nine

If you group them, you will have melded a valid sequence

An interesting fact about Points Rummy is that you can use Jokers to form sets or sequences, depending on which cards are missing.

You must meld at least one pure sequence* or more to win this Online Rummy game. Ensure to meld at least two sequences, one of which is pure, to win.

*Note: A pure sequence is a meld of three or four consecutive cards belonging to the same suit. It cannot contain a Joker card.

An impure sequence is a meld of three or four consecutive cards belonging to the same suit, wherein one is a Joker card.

The round ends when melding your cards into valid sets or sequences is completed and “declared”.

Calculating Your Score

To know how to tally your points, you will first have to know the value of each card, as seen below:

A pure sequence carries 0 points. This is why we recommend melding low-value cards like the Number Cards and the Joker to score the lowest points to win.

Your score will also be impacted if you drop out or leave the game before or after you draw a card.

If you leave the game before drawing a card in the 1st round, you will attract a penalty of 20 points. However, leaving the game after drawing a card in subsequent rounds will attract a penalty of 40 points.

On the other hand, if you make an invalid declaration, you will get a penalty of 80 points (which is the maximum number of points for losers).

Additionally, if you haven’t meld your cards into the appropriate sets or sequences, your score will be the sum of the cards in your hand.

Deals Rummy

This variant is a fast version of Online Rummy played by people who don’t have much time but still wish to have fun. That’s because it involves two to three deals (or rounds) as decided by the players.

You will require a standard 52-card deck (inclusive of one Joker card), a group of 2-6 players and chips to play it.

As in Points Rummy, you will need to select a dealer to shuffle the cards and hand them to each player. The player who draws the card with the lowest value from the deck before the game becomes the dealer.

He/she then hands each player about 13 cards and a fixed number of chips. The remaining cards form the draw stockpile, while the topmost card from this pile is kept face up to form the discard pile.

How to Play a Round of Deals Rummy?

The basic objective of Deals Rummy is to meld your cards into valid sets or sequences. In this game, a set and sequence hold the same meaning as in Points Rummy.

The same is true for a pure and impure sequence. This means the rules of using a Joker to form a set or sequence remain the same.

If seated on the dealer’s left, you can start the game by drawing a card from the draw pile, or discard pile.

After melding all your cards into valid sets or sequences, you can “declare” to signal the end of your gameplay. You should calculate your score after declaring.

Tabulating Your Score

Your total score will depend on the points each card carries. Each card carries the same points in Deals Rummy as their counterparts in Points Rummy.

So, aim to form low-value card melds or at least one or more pure sequences to win. Also:

1. i) An invalid declaration will lead to a penalty of 80 points
2. ii) Dropping from the game before drawing or discarding a card during your turn in the 1st round will lead to a penalty of 20 points

iii) Dropping from this game of online Rummy after your turn in the 1st round will lead to a penalty of 40 points

1. iv) Missing three consecutive points will get you dropped from the game

You can score a maximum of 80 points in the game. So if you accumulate more than 80 points, you will still get 80 points. However, if you score anything less than 80 points, like 70 points, then you will get 70 points.

You will be declared a winner if you score the fewest points possible and accumulate the highest number of chips.

Tips for Beginners – Tricks to Improve Your Game

It’s natural to feel a little nervous as a beginner to either of the previously mentioned variants of online Rummy. However, you need not worry, as you can refer to some of our curated tips below for a more immersive experience.

You should understand the differences between sets and sequences and learn the rules of both games quite carefully.

Apart from that, you should master discarding your high-value cards as quickly as possible to avoid scoring extra points and losing the game.

We also recommend studying your opponents’ pattern of drawing or discarding cards to keep adapting to the flow of the game. Furthermore, you should play practice games or matches to thoroughly develop your skills.

Wrapping Up

Hence, as you’ve seen in the previously mentioned sections, Deals Rummy and Points Rummy are variants of 13 Card Rummy but have slight differences, which adds excitement to these games.

So you can play both these formats to have a great time and develop the necessary skills to keep winning.