What you need
- A standard Rummikub set: 106 tiles (the numbers 1 to 13 in four colors, two of each, plus 2 jokers)
- A rack for each player
- Paper, or the free score keeper
Players and time
2-4 players (standard set). About an hour.
The goal
Be the first to play every tile from your rack onto the table, arranged as valid runs and groups. When someone goes out, everyone else counts the tiles left on their rack, and those points decide the score for that game.
Setup
- Turn all the tiles face down and mix them. Each player takes one tile; the highest number goes first. Return the tiles and mix again.
- Each player takes 14 tiles and stands them on a rack so the others cannot see them. Leave the rest face down in the middle as the pool.
- Agree how many games you will play. The rulebook suggests a round of as many games as there are players (four games with four players, three with three, two with two), but the group can pick any number.
- Each tile is worth the number printed on it. A joker is worth 30 points if it is stuck on your rack when someone goes out.
A turn
- Play passes clockwise. On your turn you either play tiles from your rack or draw one tile from the pool, which ends your turn.
- First turn (the initial meld): you must lay down one or more sets from your rack that add up to at least 30 points. The 30 points must come entirely from your own tiles. You may not add to or rearrange any set that is already on the table yet. A joker in your first meld counts as the tile it stands for.
- If you cannot make 30 points, or choose not to, draw one tile. You may not play that tile on the same turn.
- Later turns: once you have made your first meld, you may play any tiles from your rack. You can start new sets, add tiles to sets already on the table, and take sets apart to rebuild them, as long as everything on the table is a valid set when you finish and no loose tiles are left over.
- If you cannot play any tile (or decide not to), draw one tile from the pool. You cannot play the tile you just drew until your next turn.
- If the pool is empty, you simply pass when you cannot play. The game ends when one player empties their rack and calls Rummikub, or when the pool is empty and no one can make another play.
Special cards and combinations
- Valid sets
- A group is three or four tiles with the same number in different colors. A run is three or more consecutive numbers in the same color. The number 1 is always low: 1-2-3 is a run, but 12-13-1 is not.
- Rearranging the table
- After your first meld you may reshape the sets on the table in any way: add one or more tiles to a set, take a fourth tile from a group of four to use in a new set, split a run into two runs, or combine pieces from several sets. Every set must be valid when your turn ends.
- Jokers
- A joker can stand in for any tile in a set, taking the number and color that set needs. On a later turn a player who has made their first meld may take a joker out of a set by replacing it with the real tile it stands for. That tile can come from their rack or from the table. In a group of three, the replacement can be either of the missing colors.
- Using a joker you took
- A joker you take from the table must be played in a new set on that same turn, and you must also play at least one tile from your own rack that turn. You cannot take a joker before you have made your first meld.
- Time limit
- The international rules sheet sets a limit of one minute per turn (the US Pressman edition says two minutes). If you run over, you must draw a tile and your turn ends. If you cannot finish a rearrangement in that time, put the tiles back where they were, take back the tiles you played from your rack, and draw 3 tiles from the pool as a penalty.
- Blocked game
- If the pool runs out and nobody can play, the game ends. The player with the lowest total of tiles left on their rack wins that game. Scoring is different from a normal finish: see Scoring below.
Scoring
When a player goes out, every other player adds up the face value of the tiles left on their rack and records that total as a negative score. The player who went out scores the combined total of everyone else's racks as a positive score. Each game therefore adds up to zero across the table.
In a blocked game nobody goes out, so the rulebook scores it by differences. The player with the lowest rack total wins. Every other player subtracts the winner's rack total from their own, and that difference is their negative score. The winner scores the total of those differences. The winner's own leftover tiles are in effect taken off what the winner collects, once for each opponent, and the scores still add up to zero.
| Item | Points |
|---|---|
| Numbered tile left on a rack | Its number, 1 to 13 |
| Joker left on a rack | 30 points |
| Joker played in your first meld | The value of the tile it stands for |
| Player who goes out | Plus the total of all the other racks |
| Every other player | Minus the total of their own rack |
Worked example
Four players. Ana goes out. Ben has tiles totaling 22 left, Cai has a joker and a 4 (30 + 4 = 34), and Dee has an 11 and a 9 (20). Ana scores +76 (22 + 34 + 20), Ben scores -22, Cai scores -34 and Dee scores -20. The four scores add up to zero.
In the next game Ben goes out. Ana has 15 left, Cai has 8 and Dee has 6, so Ben scores +29, Ana -15, Cai -8 and Dee -6. Running totals after two games: Ana 61 (76 - 15), Ben 7 (-22 + 29), Cai -42 (-34 - 8) and Dee -26 (-20 - 6).
A blocked game with three players: Ana has 5 points left on her rack, Ben has 12 and Cai has 20. Ana has the lowest total, so she wins. Ben scores -(12 - 5) = -7 and Cai scores -(20 - 5) = -15. Ana scores 7 + 15 = +22, and the three scores add up to zero.
Keep score with the Rummikub score keeper
How to win
When the last game is finished, the rulebook names the player who won the most games across all rounds as the overall winner. If players are tied on games won, the player with the highest score wins.
Many groups simply play for the highest running score instead, and the US Pressman edition does exactly that: the player with the highest score at the end of the game wins, and you decide beforehand how many points end the game. The score keeper tracks running totals and lets you set an optional target.
Common house rules
These are house rules. They are not part of the official rules, so agree on them before you start.
- Play to a target score House rule
- Some groups agree on a points target (for example 100) and stop when someone reaches it, instead of counting games won. The score keeper has an optional target setting for this.
- Winner only scores House rule
- Some groups only add points for the winner and leave the losers at zero. The score keeper has a switch that turns off the negative scores for losers.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use tiles that are already on the table for my first meld?
No. The first 30 points must come from tiles on your own rack. You can only add to or rearrange the table after that first meld is down.
Is 12-13-1 a valid run?
No. The number 1 is always the lowest tile, so a run cannot wrap around from 13 to 1.
Do I have to play a tile if I can?
The rulebook says a player who cannot play, or who chooses not to, draws a tile. Holding tiles back is allowed and is a normal part of the strategy.
How many points is a joker worth?
A joker still on your rack when someone goes out costs 30 points. In your first meld it counts as the value of the tile it replaces.
Can two tiles of the same color be in a group?
No. A group needs three or four tiles of the same number, all in different colors.
What if the pool is empty and nobody can go out?
Play continues until nobody can make another play. The player with the lowest rack total then wins the game. Each other player loses the difference between their rack total and the winner's, and the winner scores the sum of those differences.
Can I play more than two players with the standard set?
The standard 106-tile set is for 2 to 4 players. The publisher sells a larger edition with 160 tiles for 5 or 6 players.
Sources
- Rummikub rules sheet (D-2600), rummikub.com (The publisher's rules sheet. Source for the tile count, deal, first meld, jokers, time limit and scoring.)
- Rummikub instructions, Pressman Toy (2009 edition) (The US edition's instructions. Used to check how a blocked game is scored, and for its two-minute turn limit and highest-score win.)
Rummikub is a registered trademark of M&M Ventures (2014) Limited. Rules and Scores is not affiliated with or endorsed by its owner.