Most Confusing Rummy Terms in Rummy

Playing rummy can be confusing if you are a new player with all the new terms and rummy rules you will have to learn. There are chances that you will misread certain rummy terms while playing the game and end up losing also. So, to tackle this situation and to clear all your rummy game questions, we have listed out some rummy terms that you may find confusing while playing offline or online rummy.

Deal: A deal starts when the dealer deals you with 13 cards. The game starts only when the 13 cards are equally dealt to all the players playing in the game. The cards are dealt in a clockwise direction, that is, the player sitting on the left side of the dealer gets the first card.

Face Cards: In 13 card and 21 card rummy, the Kings, Queens, Jacks and Aces of all suits are considered as Face Cards. It is always recommended to get rid of these cards as soon as possible if you can’t make a set or sequence with these cards as they carry high points.

Open Deck: The rummy term Open Deck refers to the cards that are discarded by the players. The players can either pick a card from the open deck if it makes a good addition to their hand or can pick a card from closed deck before discarding a card from their hand to the open deck.

Closed Deck: The closed deck in rummy game refers to the face down deck of cards that are un-dealt by the dealer. The players can pick a card from this deck if they don’t find any use of the cards that are discarded on the open deck by their opponents.

Drop: In the game of rummy, you can drop out of the game anytime you want if you are not satisfied with your hand or the way the game is progressing. A Drop can cause you to lose points depending on the time you are doing it. If you are dropping out of the game at the start, you will lose 20 points and for middle drop it is 40 points. The number of points you will lose will vary if you are playing the 21 cards rummy format. The first drop for 21 cards rummy is 30 points and middle drop will cost you 70 points.

Jokers: Joker cards are used in Indian rummy as a substitute to your missing cards in sets or sequences. Other than the printed joker cards, in rummy, a wildcard is selected and it acts like a joker card. In 21 card rummy, the wildcard is often referred to as cut joker whereas the cards higher and lower in ranks to it are referred to as upper joker and lower joker.

Marriage: Rummy terms like Marriage most commonly used in 21 cards format. It is actually a sequence of one cut joker, one lower joker and one upper joker of the same suit. For example, if 5♣ is the cut joker, you will have a Marriage on your hand only if you have 4♣ as lower joker and 6♣ as upper joker. A player with Marriage can claim a total of 100 points from each of the opponents who non-dropped player.

Tunnela: Tunnela is another rummy term commonly used in 21 cards format. Tunnela is also known as London in many online rummy websites. The term refers to the three cards of the same suit and same series. For example, 6♥, 6♥ and 6♥ is a valid Tunnela and is considered as a pure sequence too. You cannot add a Joker with two similar cards to form a tunnel but you can add three printed jokers to form a Tunnela.

Dublee: The rummy term Dublee is used for 21 cards format and is a set of two cards of same suit and series. For example, you will have a Dublee on your hand if you have 8♣, 8♣. You cannot use a joker card to complete a Dublee but 2 printed jokers can form a valid Dublee.

To get a complete list of top rummy terms, read a rummy wiki on our online platform. Also, watch our online how to play rummy videos to quickly start playing for unlimited fun and real cash. We're sure after getting through all these rummy