What is Hell's Rummy?

Hell's Rummy is a card game based on Rummy, and is often called a 'progressive rummy'. As with most Rummy games, a player tries to create a 'meld'. A meld can be cards of the same rank (known as a 'set'), or cards of the same suit with sequential ranks (a 'run').

In Hell's Rummy, each player must meet a minimum meld (or melds) before any other meld can be played. Once the minimum has been met, the player can add to any existing meld. The goal is to be the first to play all of the cards in your hand.

Each round increases the number of cards needed to meet that minimum requirement.

In this online version of the game, you can play against automated players and/or other humans. The chance of being successful in this game is at least as much based on luck as it is on skill. These automated players do not hold any advantages over human players (they don't know what cards any player is holding, or what cards are in the deck). They aren't counting cards to see what cards are most likely to appear. And, like a human player, they are also limited by the logic they use, so they may not always take the most sensible actions. Unlike a human player, they don't learn from their mistakes.

Overview and Terminology

• A game is played by three or more players (up to ten), assigned to random seating positions.
• Like Rummy, melds(examples) consist of either Sets (cards of the same rank) or Runs (cards of the same suit with consecutive ranks).
• The Deck
  • At a minimum, two decks of four suits are used.
  • Depending on the number of players and the difficulty, additional suits will be added at the start of a round. Additional decks may also be included from the beginning of the round.
  • If more cards are needed, an additional deck (with the same suits) will shuffled and added.
• Cards
  • Deuces (2) are always wildcards and can represent any rank or suit.
  • Card ranks go from 3 to Ace, and Ace is always the high card.
• Each game consists of up to five rounds, each having a minimum required difficulty before general melds or other plays can be made.
• Each round starts with a fresh shuffle.
• If more cards are needed, an additional deck (with the same suits) is shuffled and added automatically.
• Nine cards are dealt to each player. The next card from the deck is shown as the initial discard.
• There is always only one discard
• A player's turn starts when they decide to take or pass the discard
• Until a player has met the minimum melds for the round, that is their only option. Once that minimum has been met for the round, the player can create other melds, buy wildcards from melds, or update melds with additional cards. Examples of melds and actions.
• A player's turn ends when they discard.
• The round ends when a player has no more cards in their hand. They do not have to provide a discard.
• Other players are penalized based on the rank of cards in their hand.
• After the agreed number of rounds, the player with the lowest score is declared the winner.

A player's turn

Decide on the discard

A player's turn starts with deciding if they want to add the discard to their hand. If the current player thinks the discard will help their hand, they can choose to add it to their hand.

If they do not want the discard:
1. They pass the discard to the next player, along with the top card, face down, from the deck (the game handles this automatically). The recipient must accept these cards and add them to their hand.
2. The current player gets the next top card from the deck, also face down.

Now the player can begin their turn.

The turn

Until the current player can meet the minimum difficulty for the round, they can only end their turn by providing a discard (the next player decides to take/pass the discard). Only after the current player can meet the minimum difficulty for the round, can they make other plays:

Melds and Plays
• A Set of 3 or more cards of the same rank
• A Run of 3 or more cards of the same suit in consecutive ranks
• A card that can extend an existing meld
• A wildcard on an existing meld can be exchanged for a card of the same implied value (rank for Sets, rank and suit for Runs) as a wildcard. The player can use this wildcard as they wish, for any rank or suit.
• Extend an existing meld with a wildcard, should the player not want to hold it and risk the penalty points

Players make as many plays as possible during their turn. If at any time they have no more cards in their hand, they win the round.

Ending the turn

The current player ends their turn by discarding.

• If this was the last card in their hand, they win the round.
• The discard should not be playable on an existing meld or match the implied value of a wildcard. In the normal human version of the game, any player noticing the bad discard can yell 'Rummy!', placing the discard where it plays (even if they have not met the minimum), and providing a substitute discard from their hand. If they have no more cards in their hand, they are the winner.

Discarding in the Electronic game

The automated players will try to avoid discarding a Rummy (a card that can play on an existing meld). In fairness, this electronic version prevents players from making similar mistakes and earn some penalty points:

• Wildcards cannot be discarded by a player. If a player does not want to hold onto a wildcard, they should play it on an existing meld. If they have not yet met the minimum for the round, they must hold the wildcard.
• The player cannot discard a wildcard or other playable card (a 'Rummy') unless every card in their hand is also playable (this can happen it the player has not yet met the minimum for the round). An error is displayed, a penalty issued, and the player must select a different discard. Since there may be automated players that could quickly recognize a Rummy (and can also avoid discarding a Rummy), this helps level the game play. Note that all players will see a message that a bad discard was attempted.
• If a player has enabled 'Play Protection', they will receive a warning if they are discarding while there are valid plays remaining in their hand. The specific potential plays are not identified. Note that all players will see a message when a play protection warning is issued. A player can toggle play protection unless the game is in Expert Mode (which disables any player from using the protection). NOTE that if Play Protection is not enabled, you won't be warned, but you also avoid the risk of penalty points when there are possible plays.

Any of these mistakes will earn 3 penalty points in the electronic version of the game.

Ending a Round

When any player has no more cards in their hand, they are the winner. Other players are penalized for the cards remaining in their hand, as follows: A general recommendation is that a player should not hold onto a wildcard longer than necessary.

Difficulties

A standard game of Hell's Rummy consists of five rounds, using the following minimum requirement per round:

Additional difficulties supported

Any difficulty from 3 through 25 is supported:

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