Rummy games are played by 2 to 6 people and in most cases a regular deck of cards is used. In most variations we are faced with a target score that needs to be reached and you do this by obtaining sets and runs. You then have to basically make hands and meld them. The biggest problem with rummy games is the fact that there are many variations available and most have different rules. On the other hand, we do have some common types of rummy that enjoy high popularity and are well known across the world.
Gin Rummy – A game played by 2 to 4 players with absolutely no wild cards. Each player will receive 10 cards and the word Gin is declared when one player will meld all cards while holding zero deadwood.
Oklahoma Gin – In most situations this game is played by only 2 people. It is highly similar to Gin Rummy but does not feature this many people.
Canasta – This type of rummy is highly popular and players will use 2 decks of cards, each with 2 jokers. You will be dealt different numbers of cards, based on how many people are playing. If 2 players will play then they receive 15 cards each. If there are more than 2 but less than 5 13 cards are dealt and if there are 5 or 6 players they will receive 11 cards. In this rummy variation you will need to secure as many points as possible and not necessarily run out of cards fast. A hand will end when one player has a canasta and he runs out of cards.
Kalooki 51 – This is an interesting type of rummy that uses a deck of cards plus 2 jokers. Aces can have the value of 11 or 1 and you can use them in high or low combination. When a player will go Kalooki all the opponents will receive a penalty of 11 points if they have an Ace in their hand and25 points for every single joker. There is also the online Kalooki 40 variation, in which aces are only worth 11 and they can be melded with queen, king or 2 aces. The joker penalty is lower at just 15 points.
No matter what type of free rummy you are playing we are sure you will enjoy the game and have fun every single time that you play.