Welcome to Contract Rummy!

In this game, the goal is simple: get rid of all your cards by forming sets, adding to existing sets, or getting rid of cards that don’t fit into any set. Let’s dive in and learn more!

First, let’s talk about the number of players. Contract Rummy is best played with 3 to 5 players, but 4 players is the ideal number.

A standard deck of 52 cards is used in this game, along with an extra joker. Keep in mind that the ranking of the cards goes from high to low: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A.

Now, let’s get into the specifics of the game. Contract Rummy falls under the category of Rummy games, where the objective is to create sets or runs of cards. The sets must follow a specific pattern, known as the contract, in order to be valid.

Understanding the Contract

Each round of Contract Rummy has a different contract that you need to fulfill. The contract determines the specific melds or combinations of cards that you need to create in order to lay down your cards and get closer to winning the game.

For example, one round’s contract might require you to create two sets of three cards and one run of four cards. In another round, the contract might be two runs of four cards each.

It’s important to note that the contract can vary from round to round, so you’ll need to adapt your strategy and be flexible in order to succeed in Contract Rummy.

Now that you have a basic understanding of Contract Rummy, gather your friends and start playing! Enjoy this exciting game that combines strategy, skill, and a bit of luck.

Did you know that the original version of Contract Rummy is believed to be called Zioncheck and was created by Ruth Armson? It’s a really fun game! There are also several popular variations of Contract Rummy, such as King Rummy, Continental Rummy, Shanghai Rummy, Liverpool Rummy, Progressive Rummy, and Carioca Rummy.

Let’s talk about the cards and how the game is dealt.

In a Contract Rummy game with more than five players, you’ll need two decks of cards plus two jokers. Jokers are like wild cards and can be used to replace any other card in the game.

To determine who deals the first round, you’ll shuffle and cut the deck. Each player will then draw a card, and the person who draws the card with the lowest value gets to be the dealer for the first round. After that, the dealer position moves to the left.

In Contract Rummy, there are a total of seven deals. For the first four deals, each player receives 10 cards. Then, for the remaining deals, each player receives 12 cards. The dealer starts to their left and goes around the table in a clockwise direction. The cards are dealt one at a time and placed face-down. After all the cards for the deal are given out, the remaining cards form the stock pile. The top card of the stock pile is flipped over and put beside it to create the discard pile.

THE CONTRACTS

Deal 1: 10 cards, 2 sets

Deal 2: 10 cards, 1 set and 1 sequence

Deal 3: 10 cards, 2 sequences

Deal 4: 10 cards, 3 sets

Deal 5: 12 cards, 2 sets and 1 sequence

Deal 6: 12 cards, 1 set and 2 sequences

Deal 7: 12 cards, 3 sequences

Let’s fulfill the contracts by laying down the right melds for each deal.

If a contract calls for multiple sequences, they can’t be from the same suit.

For the seventh round or deal, you have to meld all your cards at once. This means you can have a meld that is more than four cards.

Let’s Play

The game starts with the player to the left of the dealer and goes clockwise. Each turn has three parts:

1. You can draw the top card from the stockpile, keeping it a secret from others and adding it to your hand. You can also draw one or more cards from the discard pile. You can choose cards from the discard pile if they are not on top of the pile. If you immediately meld the chosen card and take all the cards above it.

How to Play the Game:

I’m here to tell you all about playing the game. It’s pretty simple, so let’s dive right in!

Melding Cards:

Here’s something cool – you can combine cards in your hand to make a meld. Just place the cards face-up on the table. But that’s not all! You can also add your cards to someone else’s meld if you want. To do this, just put your card in front of yourself. The player who melded the cards gets the points for them. It’s important to remember the rules for melding, so keep reading to find out more!

Discarding Cards:

If you used all the cards in your hand to meld, great! You don’t have to do anything else. But if you have any cards left, you have to discard one. Just place it face-up on top of the discard pile. There’s one rule, though – if you drew a card from the top of the discard pile, you can’t discard that card. But if you drew multiple cards from the discard pile, you can choose one of them to discard. Easy peasy!

Forming a Meld:

Now let’s talk about how to form a meld. It’s simple, really. Just follow these steps:

1. First, gather a group of cards that have something in common. They could be the same number or the same suit. You can even mix and match! That’s called a run.
2. Next, place the cards face-up on the table in front of you. This is your meld. Make sure everyone can see it!
3. If you want to, you can also add cards to someone else’s meld. Just put your card in front of yourself.
4. Remember, the player who melded the cards gets the points. So if you add your card to someone else’s meld, they get the points, not you.
5. That’s it! Now you know how to form a meld. Pretty cool, right?

A meld is a group of 3 or 4 cards that have the same value. For example, you can have a meld with the King of Hearts, King of Spades, and King of Diamonds. But if you’re playing with more than one deck, you can’t have 2 cards of the same suit in a group. So you can’t have 2 five of diamonds and one five of hearts in a meld – they all need to be different.

A meld can also be a sequence of 3 or more cards that are consecutive and from the same suit. For example, a meld could be 3-4-5-6 of spades.

You can add on to a meld if it extends the sequence. This is called “laying off.” Jokers can be used as wild cards and can replace any card in a meld. Just remember, if you use a joker, you have to announce what rank it represents, and it can’t change throughout the game.

Now, let’s talk about jokers.

Jokers are like magical cards that can be any card you need to complete a group. Just tell me the suit and rank of the card you want to swap it with.

If you’ve already finished your turn’s task and someone uses a joker in a group to swap for a card you have, you can take that joker and switch cards. But remember, you have to use the joker right away; you can’t save it for later.

Jokers that are used in groups are no longer useful and can’t be used again.

Now, let’s talk about scoring. If you’ve finished your task for the round and played all your cards, you “go out.” When that happens, the round is over for everyone, and we score the hands. You get penalty points for the cards you still have.

The fancy cards (K, Q, J) are worth 10 points each.

Aces: You get 15 points for each Ace.

Joker: The Joker is worth 15 points.

Number Cards: The value of Number Cards is the same as the number on the card.

After playing all 7 rounds, the player with the fewest points wins the game. Good luck!

After playing all 7 rounds, the player with the fewest points wins the game. Good luck!