4 Tips to Use Face Cards Smartly in an Online Rummy Game

When the ace falls from grace

The king and queen enter the race! 

The kings and queens (and jacks) have officially entered the chat! 

Our beloved face cards i.e. Ks, Qs, and Js can play a significant role in an online rummy cash game. You may have often been advised to discard these “high-value cards” at the earliest. But how often have you benefited from this strategy? 

We have often seen in history that when a king or a queen is dethroned, the entire kingdom falls apart. Similarly, when you discard face cards in the first few moves, you might miss out on creating potential sequences or sets. Before we move on to explain the use of face cards, let us first understand the significance of these cards in Indian rummy.

What are face cards?

A standard card deck consists of 52 cards, which are divided into two colors: red and black. These cards are further divided into four suits of 13 cards each. The cards in each suit include an ace (A), nine numbered cards from 2 to 10, and three face cards, namely kings queen and jack. According to the rummy rules, face cards are worth 10 points each. These face cards along with aces are called high-value cards in rummy. 

How to make the best use of face cards in rummy?

Despite being high-value cards, you can use kings, queens and jacks to your advantage in online rummy cash games. Below are some tips on how to use these cards smartly.

Tip #1: Do not discard them right at the beginning of the game

We all know that that rummy requires you to reduce your overall score to zero. For that reason, players are often advised to discard high-value cards at the earliest. 

However, we advise you to wait for at least three turns before discarding the high-value cards in your hand. This is because there is a possibility that you may pick a desired card on one of your turns, which can allow you to create potential combinations with the face cards in your hand. For example, if you have K♥ and J♥ in hand, all you need is a joker or Q♥ to make a sequence. 

At the same time, you should not hold onto these cards for too long. If someone else declares before you, face cards can increase your point load, and hence you should discard them if you’re unable to create any required combinations with them.

Tip #2: You can group them with aces

Unlike in most card games, ace is the high-value card in Indian rummy. However, it can be grouped with both low-value cards such as 2s, 3s and 4s and face cards such as Ks, Qs and Js to form a sequence. For example, if you have A♣, you can group it with K♣, Q♣ and J♣ to create a sequence.

Tip #3: You can create pure sequences 

A pure sequence is a combination of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit. You can combine face cards with connecting cards such as 8s, 9s and 10s to form a pure sequence. For example, if you have 9♦ and 10♦, you can combine them with J♦ and Q♦ (9♦-10♦-J♦-Q♦) to form a pure sequence of four cards.

Tip #4: You can create sets using face cards

A set is a combination of three or four cards of the same rank but different suits. You can use face cards to create sets. K♥-K♣-K♠, Q♦-Q♣-Q♥-Q♠ and J♥-J♣-8♠ (WJ) are some examples of a set created using face cards.

Whether it is numbered cards or face cards, every card plays a crucial role in Indian rummy games. If you want to master this game, you should know the function of each card and the ways in which you can use them to your advantage. Moreover, you should continue playing practice games to improve your skills and understanding of the game. 

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