Types of rummy that can be played online:

Gin Rummy

Gin Rummy is designed for two to four players, and a player’s primary objective is to be the first to lay down valid melds with all the cards in his or her hand. Unlike Traditional online Rummy, Gin Rummy also includes a secondary objective, which is to try and lower the amount of deadwood to a minimum. “Deadwood” is cards that can not be melded in to any set or run in hand or on the table.

The game is played with one deck of cards without jokers. A turn consists of two primary moves – drawing the top card of the deck or discard pile, and throwing a card with low value to the player’s hand. Value is determined by the card’s suitability to the runs and sets that the player wishes to create, or by the cards value in penalty points.

Oklahoma Gin

Oklahoma is designed for up to four players, where the main objective is to be the first to lay down valid melds with all the cards in his or her hand. Unlike Traditional online Rummy, Oklahoma also has a secondary objective, which is to try and lower the amount of deadwood to a minimum, to a point where the game’s result can be turned around in the end. “Deadwood” is a term used to indicate cards that can not be melded in to any set or run in hand or on the table, or simply put – cards that are left in the player’s hand at the end of the game.

The game is played with a full deck of cards without the jokers. A turn consists of two actions – drawing the top card from the deck or discard pile, and throwing a card with little use to the player. A card’s “value” is set according to a number of characteristics, including the card’s suitability to the runs and sets that the player wishes to create, or by the cards value in penalty points.

Kalooki 51

This game is played by 2-4 players with the objective of the game being to be the first player to get rid of all the cards in your hand. The game is made up of rounds in which each player has a turn. Each turn is made up of two different moves: First the player must draw a card. The card can be drawn from either the stock pile or from the discard pile. Once the player has drawn a card he must choose a card to discard. The most likely card to discard is the card which is the least useful to your hand and to your opponents’ hand.

The value of each card is measured by the compatibility to the card sequence the player is collecting. In order to get rid of cards the player must create sets or runs from their cards and meld all except one on the melding area. The last card remaining in their hand is used to end the round.

Kalooki 40

2 to 4 players can play this game, in a structure of a quick round, and elimination tournament. The winner of a hand is the first player to get rid of the all the cards in his hands by melding them all into sets and runs. The game progresses as the players make their turns according to a predetermined order. In every turn, a player will make both of these moves: drawing and discarding cards. A player can draw a cards from the either the stock pile or the discard, and must throw a card to the latter to complete his turn.

Different cards could be of different values to different players. It all depends on which sequence each of them is trying to achieve. To win the hand, players need to meld (make sets and/ or runs) all of the cards in their hand, and lay them on the meld area. It is most important that they leave one card unmelded, to discard at the end of their turn.

Traditional Rummy

The game is designed to be played by 2-4 players. The object of the game is to be the first player with no cards in their hand. The game is divided into rounds and turns. A turn consists of two actions: picking up a card, and discarding a card at the end of the turn. Cards can either be picked up from the deck, or alternately it is possible to pick up the card that was discarded by the previous player during his or her turn. When discarding, it is most likely that a player will choose to discard the card that has the least value to that player’s hand.

Every card’s value is assessed according to its usability in melds that the player is planning to form. In order to “get rid” of cards players must form sets or runs and lay them down in the meld area. One card has to be kept in hand in order to be able to complete the turn.

Rummy 500

Rummy game is played by 2 – 8 players. If there are up to four players the game is played using one standard deck of cards including the 2 jokers. If there are five or more players another deck is added to the game.

The goal of the game is to be the first player to accumulate 500 points or more. The game play is made up of a number of rounds until a player reaches the 500 points bar. Each round player take their turn to draw and discard a card, while being able to meld sets or runs and build on existing melds between the two main playing actions. A card can be drawn from the main stock pile or from the pile of discarded cards. If a player chooses to draw a card from the discard pile they must take all of the cards that were discarded after that card as well from the pile and use the card he drew in a meld right away.

Burraco

Similar to the tension build up in any card game played for money, like Gin Rummy or even Traditional Rummy for instance, Burraco can get very heated. But if the rules are learnt properly, any argument can be won.

Most online card game sites will have the rules of the game wanting to be played. And lots of practise games are offered before playing for real money. The rules are crucial to any card game. Look at them and learn them. Standard Burraco rules say that all the number ’2′ playing cards and the Jokers can be used in place of any other card. That is important for beginner to know otherwise they would become very confused.

Canasta

The game is played by 2-6 players and the main goal of the game is to be the first player to accumulate 8500 (or the highest score). The game is played in rounds in which each player takes a turn at playing. Each turn consists of 2 moves: first the player must draw a card. The card can be drawn from one of two piles: from the stock pile or from the discard pile. If a player chooses to draw a card from the discard pile, they must use the card immediately to form a meld. When choosing this option the player receives all of the cards from the discard pile as well as the card he wished to pick up. The second move consists of discarding a card which is of little or no use to your hand.

The benefit of each card is measured according to its compatibility with the sets of cards the player is trying to collect. In order to get rid of all of your cards you have to form sets from the cards in your hand. A set consists of a minimum of 3 cards and a maximum of  7 cards. A full set of 7 cards is called a Canasta.

Mahjong

Mahjong is normally played with 4 people and requires a very sharp intellectual ability obtained by many hours of free practice. Usually Mahjong falls under the Tile Games category, very much like Rummikub, but in actual play it is most similar to the family of Rummy games. Sharing its objective with the Rummy games, the objective of Mahjong is to get rid of all the tiles as quickly as possible and form them into to ‘melds’ – groups or sets. As is common with all the rummy games, there are variations in Mahjong, but the game play remains the same – the competitive edge creeps in when the player has to build sets that score the highest points. So, not just ordinary sets of ‘matching’ tiles, but sets that can give the player the highest possible score.

Mahjong is commonly played with at least 136 tiles up to the maximum of 144. The set of tiles have different pictures and designs depending on where the game is being played. Traditional tiles with have a Circle suit, a Bamboo suit, a Character suit, Wind tiles, Dragon tiles and flower tiles. American Mahjong has been standardized by the National Mahjong League and it has very different tiles from the original game. Joker tiles have been introduced, and well as the Charleston and melds of five or more tiles. The standard hand known as ‘The Chow’ is not part of the American version.