Are you a new Rummy player looking for a fast variant? Then you should try Point Rummy. It is an Indian variant of the 13-card Rummy played with a standard deck of cards that comes with a printed Joker. There is a pre-decided rupee value in the case of Points Rummy games, and the winner gets zero points for making a valid declaration. They receive rewards based on the total score of the opponents. The player’s main objective is to form a minimum of two sequences—one among them must be a pure one.
Before you start joining the Points Rummy game, you should develop a clear understanding of the rules and point calculation system of this variant. It will help you decide on effective tactics to win against strong opponents. This article is here to thoroughly guide you about the rules and score calculations of the Points Rummy.

It is common knowledge that you can win the game if all your cards create a combination. In that case, you score Zero points and win the game. However, what about the points that the cards in Points Rummy carry? Well, let’s try to know that in detail below:

• The Joker in the Rummy Game, which includes both Printed and Wild Jokers, has Zero value.
• The face cards, including Jack, Queen, King, and the Ace, carry 10 points each.
• Other cards, as in the number cards 2-10, carry the value of their cards. For example, the card with Number 2 carries 2 points, and the card with Number 5 carries 5 points.

In Rummy games, each card has their value. Therefore, if you want to calculate the points during the game, it is better to learn their values. Here are the points of each card -

1. In the Rummy game, the player needs to arrange the cards in consecutive order; the order from lowest to highest is A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, and K.
2. The Number cards or the 2-10 cards from all the suits carry their face value. For example, the points associated with 7 of Clubs is 7 points.
3. In Indian Rummy, there are two types of Jokers—Printed Joker and Wild Joker. Both the cards carry zero points. Hence, they help decrease the penalty points when you have several high-value cards.
4. The Face Cards, such as K, Q, J, and Ace (A), have 10 points each. Use Ace cards in two different combinations, such as A-2-3 and Q-K-A.

The following table shows the cards and their points:

Cards	Points
Number Cards - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10	Their Face Value
Face Cards - K, Q, J, A	10 Points (each)
Jokers (Printed Jokers, Wild Jokers)	Zero Points

Do you know why Rummy players are so fond of Joker? Because they play a significant role in turning the table in the Rummy games. If you find a missing card while forming a sequence, you can use the Joker Cards or Trump Cards as replacements for the missing cards. The Joker cards carry zero points and are used in impure sequences and sets.
Besides making it easier to form sequences and sets, they also help decrease the penalty points. Let's see how: suppose you have 5 and 7 cards of Hearts. You can use your Joker card instead of the missing 6 Hearts Cards to form an impure sequence. Using Printed Joker: There is one printed Joker with every standard deck of cards. If you choose a Printed Joker Card to form a sequence with 5, 7, and 8 of Hearts, the final arrangement will look like 5 of Hearts, The Printed Joker, 7 of Hearts, and 8 of Hearts. This sequence is valid and carries zero points.

Using Wild Joker: At the beginning of the Rummy game, a random card is taken as the Wild Card. If your Wild Card is 8 of Hearts, then you can form this valid sequence: 5 of Hearts, 8 of Hearts (Wild Joker), and 7 of Hearts. This combination also has zero points.

In Indian Rummy games, it is a must to form at least two sequences—one must be a pure sequence. To create a pure sequence, you must arrange three or four cards of the same suit in consecutive orders. There are two types of sequences: pure sequence and impure sequence. In a pure sequence, you cannot use a Joker to replace any missing card, but in the case of impure sequences, you can choose a Printed Joker Card and Wild Joker Card.

Rummy Points In case of a Pure Sequence: You can create a pure sequence with three or four cards of the same suit arranged in consecutive order. However, you can use a Printed Joker Card in a Pure Sequence in no condition. Select a Wild Joker, considering the value and suit of the other cards in the sequence. This pure combination carries zero points.

Example: If you have three consecutive cards, say 5, 6, and 7 of Diamonds, and 4, 5, and 6 of Clubs, you can combine them to form pure sequences: 5, 6, and 7 of Diamonds and 4 of Clubs, 5 of Clubs, and 6 of Clubs. The value of this sequence is zero.

You must combine three or more cards of the same rank to form a set, but taken from different suits. You cannot use a duplicate card to make a set. You can use Printed Joker and Wild Joker when a missing card is in the set.
Examples of a set: Ace of Diamonds, Ace of Clubs, and Ace of Spades. 5 of Clubs, Printed Joker, and 5 of Hearts. 6 of Diamonds, 6 of Hearts and Wild Joker 6 of Spades.

When your cards are melded and formed at least two sequences, you can declare your cards. Make sure to check if you have at least one pure sequence. Otherwise, your declaration will be invalid. If you make a valid declaration, you win the game and get zero points.

Here is an example to show the in-depth point calculation:

1. 8 of Hearts, 9 of Hearts, 10 of Hearts, Jack of Hearts
2. 4 of Diamonds, 5 of Diamonds, Printed Joker
3. Jack of Clubs, Jack of Diamonds, Jack of Spades
4. 5 of Diamonds, 5 of Clubs, 6 of Hearts (Wild Joker)
5. Ace of Spades

Now, it is time to discard the 14th card, which, in this case, is the Ace of Spades, and you need to place it in the “Finish” slot. If you declare your cards before your opponents, this valid declaration will bring you zero points, and you will win the game.

To understand the Rummy points calculations, let's consider a game with two players: Player A and Player B. Here, suppose player A makes a valid declaration before their opponent wins.

Player A - Winner:
Here is the arrangement Player A has made:
1. 8 of Hearts, 9 of Hearts, 10 of Hearts
2. 4 of Diamonds, 5 of Diamonds, Printed Joker
3. Jack of Hearts, Jack of Clubs, Jack of Diamonds, Jack of Spades
4. 5 of Diamonds, 5 of Clubs, 6 of Hearts (Wild Joker) Player A has made one pure sequence, 1 impure sequence, and two sets. In an impure sequence, a player used the Printed Joker and in one of the sets, they used a Wild Joker card to replace a missing card. They create a valid declaration with one pure sequence, and one impure sequence with two sets and win the game with zero points.

Player B - Looser:
Here is the arrangement player B has made:
1. 8 of Hearts, 9 of Hearts, 10 of Hearts
2. 4 of Diamonds, 5 of Diamonds, Printed Joker
3. King of Hearts, King of Clubs, 6 of Diamonds (Wild Joker)
4. King of Hearts, Jack of Diamonds
5. 7 of Hearts, 9 of Hearts The player has made a pure sequence, Impure Sequence, and SET but failed to form the last 4 cards. Therefore, they could not form a valid declaration. They had a Wild Joker (6 of Diamonds) with which they formed a set. However, they have four ungrouped Cards, and based on their values, they will receive the penalty points. The penalty for Player B will be (10+10)+(7+9) = 36 Points.