Rummikub rules

Board games are activities that everyone can enjoy and strengthen the bond between friends and family. One of the best options on the market could be Rummikub, a game that helps keep the mind active, while everyone has fun, whose rules are simple.

This interesting game is over 70 years old now and people are still visiting stores looking for a Rummikub set to buy. Among the many reasons behind this success, we can mention that practicing it is considered excellent brain gymnastics to acquire greater mental agility. If you have wondered how Rummikub or Rummy (as it is also known, depending on some simple changes) is played and want to know more about its history, you can find a lot of information here.

General features

The rules of the Rummy game are very easy, which is why children quickly assimilate them. Let’s explain them.

They can play from 2 to 4 players, given the number of tiles that make up the standard package, which is made up of 104 numbered ones and 2 jokers. However, if you are interested in a 6-player Rummikub option, you could also purchase that.

You have to mix the chips very well, without showing their respective numbers. Next, each player will take 14 tokens and place them on their support. The rest of the chips will remain available on the table, without turning over, to complete the moves.

To begin, it is necessary to define who will start the game, for which the following method is used: from the chips that are available on the table, each player must turn over a chip; The one who flips the one with the highest score will be chosen. Then, the one who will start the game must choose a combination of 3 chips whose sum of numbers is greater than or equal to 30 points . If a combination of this type cannot be formed, then one of the remaining pieces must be taken and the turn passed to the next player. Once the player has managed to lower his combination of 3 tiles, he will be free to play down one tile, two or more, each turn, to try to get rid of all his chips.

Describing the games of the game of Rummikub

There are two types of plays:

• Sets : Groups of chips of 3 or 4 numbers can be formed. Each tile must be a different color in the set.

• Sequences : Use tiles of the same color to form groups of consecutive values. Example: 1, 2, 3, 4.

Some examples 

To make the rules clearer, we are going to explain some plays:

Case 1

On the table are the following sets:

13 13 13

10 11 12

If the participant has a Rummikub 13 tile to play, they will have the option to add it to the tile pool with the value of 13. Since it is a red tile, you could not place it in the sequence, because in these cases they must be the same color.

case 2

Let’s go for another example, which has to do with separating blocks that are already on the table. Suppose the following set is on the table:

6 7 8 9 10

If the player has an 8 tile, he will be able to separate the aforementioned set, to form a new trio of tiles.

6 7 8 8 9 10

Case 3

Another case in which we can create new sets with the tiles that are already on the table is the following:

2 2 2 2

If the player has tiles 3 4  , he can separate the blocks to accommodate his tiles as follows: 

2 2 2       2 3 4 

Use of wildcards

The 2 jokers that come in the set can be exchanged for any number during the game. In fact, if one is already part of a sequence or set, it can be replaced by its corresponding number, to be used in another way on the same turn. We will differentiate it with the letter C in the example.

3 4 5 C 7 8 9

If the player has the tiles 1 2 6 , he can form a new sequence, substituting the wild card for 6 and using it to form the sequence:

 1 2 C

With these examples explained, we believe that you will have a clearer idea of ​​how to apply the Rummikub rules. 

How to win?

To win, you have to get rid of all the tiles. However, in some cases, this will not be possible. If this happens, whoever has a lower score when adding their chips will win.

It should be noted that the Rummikub instructions that we have described correspond to the original version. However, there may be variants that increase the complexity of the game. Thus, the Rummy board game can be adapted to suit those seeking a greater challenge. This is the main reason that gave rise to versions like Rummy Pro.

On the other hand, although by definition Rummy is not among the games for 1 person, you may be interested to know that the online options are widely used by fans.

Rummikub history and curious facts

Now, we will talk about its origins and how it became a favorite among board game fans.

Rummy, the game of colored numerical tiles, was baptized by its creator, Ephraim Hertzano, as Rummikub. He himself carved the first wooden tokens and proposed the game as an activity in which young people and adults could participate.

Marketing the game was difficult at first, as times were tough and people were saving their income for groceries. However, everything changed when Ephraim invited to play the merchant that he had managed to convince to show the game in his store. He and his family had such a nice time that in the following days they requested more copies. In this way, Rummikub, Ephraim’s board game, became popular.

To give us an idea of ​​the impact that this game has achieved, it is enough to mention that since 1991 a world championship has been held every 3 years .

Now, due to current technology, you can also play rummikub online from the official website Rummikub.com. Although, if you wish, there are other options to play Rummikub for free. For example, you can download Rummy 45 on your tablet or mobile.

If you have not yet had the experience of having fun with this educational game, very useful for reinforcing basic mathematical knowledge, we invite you to give it a try. You will most likely find the Rummikub classic version in toy stores or specialized board game sites, as it has earned a place among the classics.