Rummy Rules – Shanghai Rummy

http://loverummy.com/rummy-rules-shanghai-rummy/

A variation of contract rummy, Shanghai Rummy rules are the following with the main differences from contract rummy as described below:

Ten (10) rounds instead of seven (7).
Eleven cards are dealt to each player on each deal.
Buying is the term used for a player to take an “up-card” when out of turn.
Limits are given on the number buying permitted.
Like some rummy variation, there is a limit to the use of joker in a set or sequence
If you discard all your cards in one play, or what they call “go out blind,” a bonus of 25 points is given and 50 points if you have not taken up your joker as a substitute.

Note that bonuses are subtracted from your total score rather than adding it.

For counting the values of the card, Shanghai Rummy rules that each number cards are counted as 5 points and not their face value.

Contracts for each deal:

Deal	Contract
1	Two sets of 3
2	One set of 3 and one sequence of 4
3	Two sequences of 4
4	Three sets of 3
5	One set of 3 and one sequence of 7
6	Two sets of 3 and one sequence of 5
7	Three sequences of 4
8	One set of 3 and one sequence of 10
9	Three set of 3 and one sequence of 5
10	Three sequences of 5

Buying

Shanghai Rummy Rules state that when an “out-of-turn” player takes an up card, they call it buying. It works basically the same as contract rummy whereby a player has to draw an extra card from the stock pile and won’t be able to play the cards immediately, but instead wait for his own turn. If another player is vying for that particular card, the player who is closest to the dealers left will take it.

Limitations in buying:

Contracts 1 to 8 – 3 buys per hand
Contracts 9 and 10 – 4 buys allowed per hand, per player

Jokers

Jokers are basically used the same as the standard rules of contract rummy, here are the differences:

1 Joker for a set of 3 or a sequence of 4
2 Jokers for a sequence of 5
3 Jokers for a sequence of 7
4 Jokers for a sequence of 10