Contract Rummy
(Shanghai Rummy, Liverpool Rummy, Joker Rummy)

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• Requirements

• 3 to 8 people can play. Each plays individually.
• For 3 or 4 players, a double pack with one joker is used (105 cards in all); 5 or more players use a triple pack with two jokers (158 cards in all).

• Rank of Cards

A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A. (Aces are high or low.)

• Card Values

Ace, joker, and other wild cards, if any, count as 15 points; each face card counts 10; each other card counts its pip value.

• The Shuffle and Cut

If a double pack is used, the dealer shuffles; if a triple pack is used, the dealer and one other player each shuffle a portion of the pack, the dealer having the right to shuffle each portion last, and the portions are then combined. The player to the dealer's
right cuts.

• The Deal

The players draw for deal from a spread pack. Low card has the first deal, ace being low in the draw. Each game consists of seven deals, the turn to deal passing from player to player to the left. Cards are dealt clockwise face down, one at a time beginning on the dealer's left. Note that when the pack is too thick for the dealer to handle, he may take the top portion and deal as far as it will go, and then resume dealing with the remaining portion, if necessary.

In each of the first four deals, each player receives 10 cards.

In each of the last three deals, each player receives 12 cards.

The remainder of the pack is put in the center as the stock, and the
top card is turned face up to begin the discard pile next to the stock.

• Object of the Game

Each player tries to get rid of all his cards by laying down matched sets of three or more (regardless of suit) and sequences of four or more cards of the same suit, in accordance with the "Basic Contract" rules of the deal.

•Basic Contracts:

◊ First deal: Two matched sets (sometimes called books), which
a player must lay down at the
same time before he can lay off
any other cards.

◊ Second deal: One matched set and one sequence (sometimes called a run).

◊ Third deal: Two sequences, or runs.

◊ Fourth deal: Three matched sets, or books.

◊ Fifth deal: Two matched sets and one sequence.

◊ Sixth deal: One matched set and two sequences.

◊ Seventh deal: Three sequences, but no cards may be laid down until one player can lay down his entire hand, matched in sets, to form the basic contract. The game ends after the seventh deal.

It should be noted that the basic contract in the first deal requires six cards, in the second deal seven cards, and so forth, increasing by one card each time.

When two or more sequences are required, they must be in different suits (or, if in the same suit, not in consecutive order, such as 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10; but not 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, which counts as only one sequence).

• The Play

Beginning with the person to the dealer's left, each player must draw either the top of the stock or the top card of the discard pile, and then discard. Just before discarding, provided he has laid down the basic contract, the player may lay off any cards that match a set already on the table, but may not lay down any more matched sets.

If the player does not want the top of the discard pile, any other player, in order of rotation to his left, may claim that card and must also draw the top card of the stock, as a penalty card, without discarding. The original player then draws the top card of the stock and play proceeds.

As the ace counts as either high or low, it may be laid off as a low card on a sequence that already includes the ace as high card, and vice versa.

Example: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A - would be a 14-card sequence. A sequence cannot contain more than 14 cards.

• Wild Cards

A joker may be used to stand as any card in a matched set or a sequence. When a joker has been laid down as part of a sequence, any other player (provided he has laid down the basic contract) may take the joker into his hand by substituting the card it represents. If more than one player is able to do this, the one with the next turn to play has precedence.

When a joker has been used in a sequence, any card not already in that sequence may be laid off on it, and the wild card moves to either end.

Example: if 9, joker, 7, 6 are shown, the 8 may be added and the joker moved to either end.

• Scoring

In each deal, play ends when any player gets rid of his last card. Each other player is then charged the pip value of each card remaining in his hand. The player having the lowest score at the end
of the seventh deal is the winner.

Conquian
(Coon-Can)

This was the original type of Rummy played in the United States.

8 Requirements

• 2 players
• A stripped pack with all the 10s, 9s and 8s removed, leaving a total of 40 cards in the deck.

• Rank of Cards

The jack and seven are considered to be in sequence. The rank of an ace is low only so that the sequence A, 2, 3 can be formed, but not A, K, Q.

• The Deal

Each of the two players is dealt 10 cards. The remaining cards form the stock; no upcard is turned.

• The Play

After the deal is completed, the non-dealer turns up the top card of the stock. He does not put it into his hand but must immediately meld it, along with cards from his hand, or discard it. Melds ("spreads") are as in regular Rummy - matched sets of three or four or a sequence of three or more cards of the same suit. Each player in turn thereafter must either take the top discard and meld it (placing the meld face up on the table), or turn up the top card of the stock and meld or discard it. When the player takes and melds a discard, he must then discard from his hand. If a player is able to add the discard to one of his previous melds, the opponent may require him to do so, and then discard.

After turning up the top card of the stock, and before discarding it, a player may meld or lay off from his or her hand if he wishes.

A player may shift his own melds around as long as only valid melds remain.

Example: If he previously melded J, 7, 6 and the 5 is drawn or discarded, he may add it to the sequence, remove the jack, and meld three jacks.

The game ends when a player has melded exactly 11 cards. Therefore, a player may have no card left in his hand but still continues to play because he needs another melded card to go out. Each deal is a separate game, and if the stock is exhausted before either player has melded 11 cards, the next game counts double.