Enrich Your Rummy Vocabulary by Knowing These Terms

Enrich Your Rummy Vocabulary by Knowing These Terms


You cannot be a good rummy player unless you are well acquainted with the rummy terminology. Knowing all the terms associated with rummy is a prerequisite to join Indian rummy and competitions too. Here we have listed all the important terminology associated with rummy for your knowledge and reference:

  1. Dealer

In the card games, the person who distributes the cards is called the dealer. The same terminology is used in rummy as well.

  1. Hand

After the cards have been distributed, the cards that you hold in your hand are referred to as a hand.

  1. Draw

The act of picking cards from the closed deck during one’s turn is called drawing.

  1. Discard

The number of cards in an ultimate rummy hand remains constant throughout the game. Each time you pick a card from the disposed pile or the closed deck, you also throw away a card that you do not need. This act is known as discarding.

  1. Open Card

Since the very first player does not have any cards to pick from the disposed pile, he is allowed to pick the open card or a card from closed deck. Open card in Indian rummy, is a card picked from the deck and left open for all players to see.

  1. Face Cards

In a deck of cards, the King, Queen and Jack or Knight are regarded as face cards. The value of each face card is 10 points.

  1. Closed Deck

The dealer distributes cards to each player from the deck of cards. After distributing the cards, the remaining cards are kept at the centre and this is referred to as the closed deck. Each player in his turn may pick from the disposed pile or from the closed deck.

  1. Natural Sequence

A sequence of playing cards made without the use of joker is termed as a natural sequence. Out of the two sequences prepared to form life, one needs to be a natural sequence. The natural sequence may be made using number cards or using face cards.

  1. Real Sequence

A real sequence is a sequence created by using joker too. Sequence itself means cards in ascending or descending order. You are allowed to make sequences in online rummy with face cards or number cards.

  1. Life

A rummy player’s first objective is always to create the life. In rummy, life is a pure or natural sequence and a real sequence together. Till a player creates the life, his full points are counted. That is why the player’s first objective in rummy online is to avoid loss of full points.

  1. Meld

A meld is a set of cards of the same number. You may form melds with three cards of same number but the sign of each should be different. The meld cannot include two cards of same number as well as sign.

  1. Buy In

A player of card games may choose to play using cash for tournaments. The amount paid or deposited by the player for a card game tournament is called the buy in. It is a common terminology used in most variations of rummy game.

  1. Declare

When a person has made all the sequences and melds that are required for rummy, he can declare that he has called rummy. He will then show the sequences and melds he has formed. All other players are also obliged to show their hands and each one’s points are counted. The one with highest points is the loser.

The above-mentioned rummy terms will help you understand how to play this card game and face the opponent player, confidently.

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