What is Indian Rummy

One of the more popular variants of rummy is called “Indian Rummy”. This game is a staple in many Indian households and you will always find people playing it during fun get-togethers, festivals, and even weddings.

It is similar to classical rummy. It is also known as “Marriage Rummy” and colloquially players refer to it as “Paplu”. It’s been noted that this variant is a fusion of Gin Rummy and Rummy 500. However, the origin of this format is debated.

Forms of Indian Rummy

Generally, there are two popular forms of Indian rummy. They are:

13 Card Rummy

The game of 13 card rummy is played between 2-6 people. This is generally considered the most popular version of the game. All players are dealt 13 cards each.

21 Card Indian Rummy

This is a more complex form of traditional rummy. In this version, players have to create at least three sequences before making a valid declaration. Generally, most people tend to play the 13-card version.

A popular rummy app like RummyTime also offer different variants of 13-card rummy.

Variations of Indian Rummy

Here are the three most popular versions of Indian rummy:

Points Rummy

Points rummy is a variant of rummy that is fun, thrilling, and can be played even when one doesn’t have a lot of time. In order to play a game of Points Rummy, there should be at least two players. Usually, the game is played by up to six players. It is a single-deal game and players are generally dealt 13 cards each per game.

It is the kind of game you will enjoy playing if you don’t have much time on your hands.

There is an open deck and a closed deck. A random card is picked at the start of the game to be used as the wild card joker. Every player during their turn will take a card from the closed deck/open deck and then discard a card to the open deck.

The goal of the game is to arrange your cards into sets and sequences. The first player to make a valid declaration will be the winner. A valid declaration has at least 2 sequences (with one sequence being a pure sequence). All the cards would be arranged in sequences and sets and the full value of all the cards as a result will be zero.

If you are playing a cash game, then each point will be valued at a pre-decided rupee value.

Here is an example of a valid declaration:

3♥ 4♥ and Wild card joker

Pool Rummy

RummyTime offers three sub-variants of Pool Rummy. They are called: 61 Pool, 101 Pool, and 201 Pool. In the case of cash games, there is a fixed Buy-In to play the game. This becomes part of the prize pool.

The first person to make a valid declaration during each round will be the winner of that round. They will receive 0 points. Those who lose a particular round will carry the number of points they accumulated to the next round. Players get eliminated if they reach the maximum number of points on the table. So, if one is playing 201 Pool rummy, then players who get 201 points or above will be automatically eliminated.

It should be noted that when it comes to Pool rummy, you can rejoin a table even if you are eliminated at some point. However, there are some conditions to this rule. For example, on RummyTime, the entry fee should be less than ₹2,000. And, no player on the table should have points over 44 in 61 Pool rummy, 79 in 101 Pool rummy, and 174 in 201 Pool rummy.

This is the kind of variant that is strategy-intensive in nature. So, if you have some additional time on your hands and want to enjoy a long and strategic game, then you will love nothing better than playing Pool rummy.

Here’s how players will be penalised for an invalid declaration:

Pool variant	Invalid declaration penalty
61 Pool	60
101 Pool	80
201 Pool	80

Here are the penalty points for dropping during games:

Pool variant	First drop	Middle drop
61 Pool	15 points	30 points
101 Pool	20 points	40 points
201 Pool	25 points	50 points

Now, let’s consider a 6-player game of 61 Pool rummy. In the first round, player A made a mistake and made an invalid declaration. Therefore, they will go to the next round with 60 points. And here are the points that the other players carried:

• Player B: 27 points
• Player C: 32 points
• Player D: 5 points
• Player E: 12 points
• Player F: 23 points

In the next round, player E makes a valid declaration. Here’s how the rest of the players scored:

• Player A: 15 points
• Player B: 10 points
• Player C: 6 points
• Player D: 9 points
• Player F: 32 points

60+ 15 is 75. Therefore, player A will get eliminated in this round. These will be the points that the other players have at the end of round 2:

• Player A: 75 (eliminated)
• Player B: 37
• Player C: 38
• Player D: 14
• Player E: 12
• Player F: 55

In this scenario, player A does not get to rejoin as the table is worth more than ₹2,000. This game will keep continuing round after round until all players but one are eliminated. The player with the least number of points will be declared the winner.

Deals Rummy

What sets Deals Rummy apart from other variants is that at the very beginning of the game, all players are allocated a set number of chips. Players will have to play with these chips for a predetermined number of deals. At the end of every deal, the player who wins (the first player to make a valid declaration) will get all the chips. The player with the most number of chips at the end of all the pre-decided number of deals will then be declared the winner.

What Sets Deals Rummy Apart

The option to drop from games is not available to players if they are playing a 2-player 1-deal variant of the game. If someone is playing a 6-player Deals rummy game, they can drop at any time. All players have to pay a fixed Buy-In before joining the game. This becomes the overall prize pool at the end.

The penalty for dropping depends on the platform that one is playing. For RummyTime, the penalty for dropping from a 6-player Deals rummy game stands at:

• First drop = 20 points
• Middle drop = 40 points
• Invalid declaration = 80 points

This format is strategy-intensive and it can be a long-format game. RummyTime offers players a chance to opt for an “Express” version of the game. It consists of just one deal.

Let’s imagine a 6-player game consisting of two deals. Here, the other 5 players lose by 22, 52, 34, 26, and 38 points respectively in the first deal. The winner of the first deal carries forward 24+54+12+46 = 172 chips to the next deal.

Indian Rummy Terms and Terminologies

Here’s everything else you need to know about Indian rummy.

Glossary

Shuffle

When it comes to RummyTime, all cards are shuffled before they are dealt to the players. The platform is RNG-certified (Random Number Generator). Therefore, it has no bias and every game starts with a well-shuffled deck.

Draw Pile

The closed deck is also known as the draw pile. Players can generally draw their cards from this pile. Do note that players can also pick up cards from the open pile.

Discard Pile

Also known as the open pile, this is where players discard all their unwanted cards during their turn.

Wild Card Joker

At the start of every game, one card is randomly drawn. This card will be declared the wild card joker. Cards from different suits that carry the same value will have the same attributes as a printed joker. Also, when a joker card is drawn at the start of the game, all aces will be considered wild cards instead.

Set

Cards of the same value but belonging to different suits when grouped together become a set.

Sequence

No valid declaration is complete without sequences. Every valid declaration must have at least two sequences. Out of these two, one of the sequences should be a pure sequence.

Local Terms Used in Indian Rummy

Paplu

Colloquially, Indian rummy is also called “Paplu”.

Nichlu

This comes into play when players are dealt 21 cards. Here, a random card is pulled before the start of the game that works as a wild card joker. The lower card to that card is called “Nichlu”. For instance, if the wild card joker is 8 of spades, then Nichlu will be 7.

Tiplu

A random card is picked at the start of the game and will be used as the wild card joker. This wild card joker is also playfully called “Tiplu”.

Please keep in mind that as these are colloquial terms, their meaning can also differ from region to region.

Rules for Indian Rummy

Here’s more of what you need to know about Indian rummy.

Sets

Cards of the same value but belonging to different suits when grouped together become a set.

Rules To Keep in Mind

• There need to be at least three cards for it to be considered a valid set.
• They should all be from different suits. If a set has two cards of the same value and from the same suit, then they will be considered invalid.
• A set can only consist of four cards (of different suits).
• A valid declaration does not need to include a set as long as the declaration has valid sequences throughout.
• A set can be completed with a joker/jokers (wild card jokers as well).

Sequence

A sequence is a grouping of at least 3 or more cards of the same suit that are arranged consecutively. No valid declaration is complete without sequences. Every valid declaration must have at least two sequences. Out of these two, one of the sequences should be a pure sequence.

Pure Sequence:

When you arrange at least 3 cards or more of the same suit (consecutively), then you will have a sequence. When you don’t use a joker or a wild card joker, it becomes a pure sequence. However, it should be noted that if a wild card joker chronologically fits into the sequence (and it is the same suit as the other cards in the sequence), then it can be used.

Impure Sequence:

When a sequence has a joker or two (wild card jokers can also be used) in place of the missing cards, then it becomes an impure sequence.

Printed Joker and Wild Card Jokers

In rummy, no card is as important as the joker. Basically, the joker is extremely versatile. It can be used as the replacement for any missing card from a sequence or a set. Every game of rummy has two variants of the joker:

Printed joker: These are the jokers that come with the deck. Every deck of cards in rummy has at least two printed jokers.

Wild card joker: At the start of every game, one card is randomly drawn and selected to be the wild card. Cards from different suits that carry the same value will have the same attributes as a printed joker. Therefore, they can also be used as replacements for any missing cards part of a sequence or a set. For example, if the six of hearts is drawn as a wild card joker during a game, then six of diamonds, six of spades, and six of clubs can also be used as wild card jokers by players. Also, when a printed joker card is drawn at the start of the game, all aces will be considered wild cards instead.

Learn How to Play Indian Rummy

Here’s what you need to know about playing Indian rummy.

Shuffle and Dealing of Cards

As stated earlier, before the start of a game, all cards are shuffled. On RummyTime, the cards are shuffled automatically. Players are dealt either 13 or 21 cards when it comes to Indian rummy.

Open Card

All games start with an open card. This becomes part of the open pile.

Declaration of Wild Card Joker

As stated earlier, one card is drawn randomly at the beginning of every game. This card will be declared the wild card joker. All cards of the same value but different suits will also be considered wild card jokers. If a printed joker is drawn, then all ace cards will act as wild card jokers.

Drawings and Discarding of Cards

When it is their turn, players have to draw one card and discard one card. This helps them create sets and sequences during the duration of the game.

Declare

There is nothing sweeter in a game of rummy than a valid declaration. Because that means the player who declared first is the winner (and hopefully it’s you!).

Here’s what you should know about valid declarations: A valid declaration should have at least TWO sequences. Of these two sequences, one of them has to be a pure sequence. There are no limitations on the number of sets as long as there are two sequences (with one of them being a pure sequence). All the cards can be in sequences. There is no need to have at least one set for it to be a valid declaration.

How Points are Calculated in Indian Rummy

An interesting thing to note about rummy is that the goal is to get your score to zero. That’s because all players, once they are dealt with their cards, have negative scoring. Each card carries the value that’s printed on them. For instance, the value of a three of spades will be three. The value of a six of hearts will be six. The value of Jack, King, Queen, and Aces is 10.

How Winnings Are Calculated in Real Cash Rummy Games

Here is how winnings are calculated for Points rummy:

Winning amount = Buy-In X Number of players - RummyTime’s commission

So, if the Buy-In is ₹200. If the pre-decided value for each point is ₹1. Let’s imagine it’s a 2-player game and player A wins and player B loses by 80 points.

Here is how winnings are calculated for Deals rummy:

Winning amount = Buy-In X Number of players - RummyTime’s commission

So, let’s imagine a 6-player game where the entry fee is ₹10 for each of the players. If the game is a 2-deal variant, then this is how it will be calculated:

Winning amount = 6 players are playing a 2-deal game where the 5 players lose by 24, 54, 32, 12, and 46 points respectively in the first deal. The winner of the first deal carries forward 24+54+12+46 = 168 chips to the next deal.

Here is how winnings are calculated for Pool rummy:

Winning amount = Buy-In X Number of players - RummyTime’s commission

So, if it is a 6-player 201 Deal rummy game with a Buy-In of ₹200, then the winnings will be calculated as:

200 X 6 - RummyTime’s commission. Therefore it will be: 1,200 - RummyTime’s commission.

Indian Rummy Tournaments on RummyTime

RummyTime offers a lot of exciting tournaments that players from across India can join. Primarily there are free tournaments and cash tournaments. Free tournaments do not have any entry fees to register and you can win powerful Discount Credits. Cash tournaments have a fixed entry fee and you can win from amazing prize pools.

There are also satellite tournaments. These tournaments consist of a series of interconnected tournaments, starting from basic shooters and progressing through satellites, tickets to mega finales, and ultimately culminating in the grand finale.

Some of the most popular tournaments on RummyTime are:

• Saturday Mega Freeroll
• Sunday Ultimate Freeroll
• Prime Time Freeroll
• Pro Daily League

We hope you have lots of fun playing Indian rummy and do join your favorite tables and tournaments on RummyTime!