When and How to Drop: Rummy Strategy for Intermediate Players

Dropping a Game in Rummy

There are occasions in rummy when you get bad cards that are difficult to arrange in sequences and sets. In such situations, it is wise to drop the game and lose by only 20 or 40 points if the total value of the cards is much more than that. A good player has the ability to identify whether dropping is a good option in a situation. However, a lot of players lack this understanding, so they continue playing the game and end up losing by big margins. So it is important to understand how and when to drop a game in rummy.

Dropping a Game

Dropping is a clever strategy used to minimize one’s loss in a rummy game when winning is not possible. This strategy is used when you have bad cards and do not get the desired cards required to make the necessary sequences/sets in the first few rounds of the game. If you are struggling to form a pure sequence, we recommend you drop the game. When you drop a game, you get a penalty of only 20 or 40 points, depending on the time of the drop, and save yourself from a big loss.

Types of Drops

In rummy, there are two types of drops: initial or first drop and middle drop.

First Drop/Initial Drop: If you leave the table on your first turn without picking even a single card, it is called an initial drop or a first drop. You get 20 points as a penalty for a first drop. You can go for a first drop when you have no jokers or have no sequence or set in your hand.

Middle Drop: If you leave the game after picking at least one card, it is a middle drop. You get 40 points for a middle drop. You can go for a middle drop when you have no pure sequence and little to no possibility of grouping your cards into valid combinations. However, do not drop if the total value of your cards is 40 or less than that. If you do not get desired cards as the game progresses, it becomes difficult to form sequences or sets. In such a case, a middle drop is a good option.

There are three scenarios where you get automatically dropped out of the game:

When and How to Drop

Dropping the game is a useful strategy. However, deciding on when to drop can be a great challenge. Here are a few situations where it would be advisable to drop the game and leave the table.

No Jokers: If you have bad cards and no jokers, it is recommended you drop the game. There is a very low possibility of winning with such a hand and you may lose the game by a big margin. Here is an example of a bad hand:

6♥ 3♦ A♠ 8♥ K♥ 2♣ 4♥ 7♠ J♣ J♣ 10♦ 9♣ 4♥

Multiple High Cards: you have multiple high cards such as 10s, kings, queens, jacks and aces and are unable to arrange them in sequences or sets, you should consider dropping the game. These high cards are worth 10 points each and increase your chances of losing by a big margin. If you choose a first drop, you will lose by only 20 points. Here is an example of a hand with multiple unmatched high cards:

10♥ 3♦ 7♣ 4 ♠ 9♦ K♣ Q ♠ K♦2♥ A ♠ 6♦ 10♥ 8 ♠

No Pure Sequence: If you are unable to create a pure sequence in the first few turns, you should consider a middle drop. It is not possible to make a valid declaration without at least one pure sequence in your hand. So if you do not get the cards required to create pure sequence in the first few turns and the total value of your cards is more than 40 points, dropping the game is the best option.

Drops in Different Rummy Variants

On Junglee Rummy, you can drop out of the game using the “Drop” button at the bottom right of your screen. The penalty for a first drop and a middle drop/consecutive misses is as follows:

Dropping the game is a useful strategy but it should be used only in situations where your chances of winning are very low and the penalty for the drop is lower than the total value of your hand. You should learn to identify such situations and execute this strategy to your advantage.

Play a lot of practice games to understand well when to use the drop option. Go for rummy game download and start playing now.