Rummy Strategies and Tips

While rummy is also a game of luck, it is mainly a skill game. It is best to know some strategies and tips in playing rummy card game that will give you an advantage over your opponents. Some of these are mentioned below:

Arrange, Analyze, Group

The first recommendation that we can give is of course to arrange your cards. Take a quick look of all your cards and analyze if there are any sequences or melds formed. It will then be easier for you to separate the cards which form a sequence, those who can potentially form a sequence and the cards that are for disposal. In case you are playing a rummy game online, there is a sort button to help you sort your cards.

Get rid of the Face or Court cards

Face cards are the king, queen, jack and ace and contain a high value. If you grouped your cards and see that a face card or any card of high value like pip card 10 was not used and will not be useful to form a meld, it is logical that you dispose them first. By doing so, you can avoid collecting points later in the game or the worse that can happen is that you are holding a high value card by the time your opponent declares rummy. Although this strategy is not always applicable because of other factors. For example, you noticed that your opponent is picking up a face card, that can mean that your opponent is forming a meld and it will be best to hold another face card which you suspect can be helpful to your opponent.

Be observant

We’re sure you’ve heard this phrase many times already. Whether you are playing online rummy card game or offline, observe closely what cards your opponents are picking and discarding. It can give you a hint of the cards that your opponents are currently holding and can help you decide on your next step.

Baiting is the key

When everybody says be observant in playing rummy, do it because there is definitely a reason behind it. Confusing your opponents can sometimes pressure them to make some decisions which can be to your advantage. For example, discarding low value cards early in the game can be interpreted as you already have a series of cards or melds of higher value and can declare rummy anytime.

Use your joker wisely

One popular strategy is this one, too. Joker card in rummy is a wild card in the game and can even lead you to your victory. Using it wisely especially in forming melds of higher value serves it’s purpose well.

Know when to dismantle

This one is interesting tactic. It is better to dismantle a sequence of cards which are taking too long to complete especially if there are high value cards in it.