Playing Jokers Smartly in a Indian Rummy Game

If you play the rummy game online, you might be excited for an upcoming tournament or cash game. You start prepping a few days before the actual game and aspire to give it your best shot at the table. On the game day, you hope to get dealt a good hand. 

However, when the game actually begins, you get dealt unfavorable cards. You feel shattered and hopeless and you start losing your confidence in the game. However, you breathe a sigh of relief when you pick a joker on your first turn. This is the point where you know that the game can be turned in your favor and you start playing it at your full potential. Well, that, ladies and gentlemen, is the power of the joker!

Joker is an unofficial trump card in the Indian rummy game and is the most desirable card for both beginners and experts alike. It is used as a substitute for any missing card in a sequence or a set. Since it’s worth zero points, it helps reduce your score in the game. There are several ways to make the most of this lifeline and we are here to tell you about them all! 

Read on to learn more about playing jokers smartly in rummy games online.

1. Use jokers wisely

Despite having multiple jokers in hand, some players tend to lose in a rummy game or tournament. This is often because they have little knowledge of using this card wisely. We know that jokers can be used as a substitute for any missing card to create an impure sequence or a set. However, they should be used as a lifeline when you cannot get a desired card after playing the first few rounds.

For instance, if you have created two sequences, one pure sequence and one impure sequence, you can use the jokers to arrange the remaining cards. 

2. Impure sequences and jokers

We know that the joker is a must-have card to create an impure sequence. But knowing which card is getting replaced by the joker can make a big difference in your game. For instance, if you have middle cards such as 3 and 4 and high-value cards such as 10 and J. If you are replacing the middle cards with jokers, you are probably losing out on creating potential combinations with 3 and 4. 

Middle cards like 3s and 4s can be easily arranged into combinations as opposed to high-value cards, i.e. 10s and Js. Moreover, if you hold on to high cards and someone else at the table declares before you, your penalty will increase.

3. Know when to discard a joker

When you play rummy online for real money, you aspire to have multiple jokers in your hand and you wouldn’t trade them for anything! But as the saying goes, “too much of something is good for nothing,” having too many jokers in your hand can be disadvantageous. If you have four jokers and you are struggling to create a pure sequence, you can choose to discard a joker right away. 

Moreover, jokers cannot be picked from the open pile. So you really do not have to worry about giving away the lifeline to your opponents. 

4. Working without a joker

When the game begins, you should focus on working without a joker. Prioritize creating a pure sequence first. A pure sequence is mandatory to make a valid declaration in a game of rummy. It is a combination of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit. Since you should not use a joker as a substitute in this combination, you should focus on creating this arrangement. After creating this combination, you can work with the jokers.

5. Know which cards to discard

Having jokers in your hand can make you happy, but you still need to strategize to win this game. For instance, 3 is the wild joker in a game. In such a case, you should discard connecting cards like 2s or 4s. This strategy will confuse your opponents and benefit you in the game.

In a nutshell, jokers are the lifeline in the Indian rummy game. However, you must know how to win the game without any joker in your hand. It is useful especially when you play online rummy for real money. 

We encourage you to play practice rummy games to learn how to play with and without jokers. Download the Junglee Rummy app to get access to unlimited practice games for free. Happy gaming!