There are seemingly endless variations on the game of rummy, all with slightly different rules and conventions. The ideal number of players for a game also varies depending on which version you’re playing. You can play rummy with as few as two players, but three or four is ideal. After that, things start getting complicated depending on the different variations and the number of decks being used.
Basic rummy
Basic rummy usually uses a standard 52-card deck. If there are two players, each is initially dealt ten cards. According to some versions, a three or four-player game would also have ten cards each, but others suggest it should be seven cards each. If there are five players, everyone gets six cards each.
With six or more players, a second deck is required, and we return to each player being dealt seven cards each. Indeed, in some versions, rummy is always played with everyone getting a seven-card initial hand, regardless of how many players are present.
Adapting to the times
Rummy is one of the world’s most popular card games, alongside the likes of poker, blackjack and baccarat, all of which can now be enjoyed online at the best NJ online casino. The ease of playing online means you can now enjoy a game whenever you want, and there’s no need to wait for enough players to be present to make up a game. However, when playing casually at home with friends, it may still be necessary to adapt your game to the number of people present.
Infinite rummy
In theory, with an infinite number of decks, one could also accommodate an infinite number of players, though this may result in the game going on for an infinite length of time. One of the main ways that the number of players affects a game of rummy is that the more players there are, the longer a game can potentially go on for. Again though, this depends on the particular rules being used, and it’s important to be aware of particular casino rules.
Going out
The object of rummy is to dispose of all the cards in your hand. Up to a point, this is easier with more players, as there are fewer cards to go round. However, if extra decks are brought in, and everyone initially has seven cards, it could take longer for anyone to “go out” by getting rid of all their cards.
If you are playing a version of rummy that continues until you’re down to the last player standing, then the more players you have, the longer it will take to get to this point. Some players may have cards other players need for a meld but are unable or unwilling to discard them.
You could, in theory, find that several players still have hands and are unable to get the number of cards down. In this situation, everyone draws one card and discards one card per turn – and the game remains locked in stasis forever.