Rummy Sequence

Do you know the Rummy game is mostly about strategies? You can win a Rummy game with well-curated tactics. But before that, you need to know the game rules. To make a valid declaration, you need to form proper sequences. Now, the question is how can you make sequences out of the 13 cards that you have. To make a sequence, you need to arrange cards in consecutive order. But before that, you must develop a clear idea about forming a valid sequence. It will help you to understand the need for sequences in a valid declaration. This page is a comprehensive guide for Rummy players and talks about sequences, their types, and their role in valid declaration.

In a Rummy card game, a player gets 13 cards, which they must arrange in clusters known as sets and sequences. A sequence combines three or more consecutive cards taken from the same suit. There are two types of Jokers that you can use in a Sequence; based on that, Sequence in Rummy can be classified into two groups—Pure Sequence and Impure Sequence.

In a pure sequence, you can use three or four consecutive cards of the same suit, but you cannot use any Printed Joker as a replacement. Here is how you can use wild Joker in pure sequence -

• Printed Joker: You can never use a printed Joker in a pure sequence.
• Wild Joker: You can use a Wild Joker in the pure sequence, but only if it can complete the sequence in its original value and belongs to the same suit as the other cards. You cannot use them as a substitute for any other card in the sequence.

Sequence 1: Pure Sequence with Wild Joker: 5, 6, 7 of Diamonds, where 5 of Diamonds is a Wild Joker.

When you have already formed a pure sequence in your Rummy game, it is time to create more sequences. If you cannot find any more chances to arrange pure sequences, you can use Printed Jokers and Wild Jokers to make impure sequences.

Impure Sequence with Wild Joker: At the beginning of the Rummy game, you select a specific card as the Wild Joker, and then the other cards of the same rank but different suits become the Wild Joker, too. For example, if you have 5 & 6 of Diamonds but missing the number 4 or 7, you still can create a sequence with wild joker. You can replace the missing card with 3 of Spades, which is the Wild Joker in its substitute.
The arrangement will become 3, 4 of Spades, 7 of Diamonds ( Wild Joker), and 6 of Spades.

Impure Sequence with Printed Joker: If you have a J and Q of Spades and K or 10 of Spades is missing, you can use a Printed Joker to form an impure sequence. The final arrangement will be J of Spades, Q of Spades, and Printed Joker.

Example of Impure sequence with Wild Joker & Printed

For any new player, it is a must to learn the rummy sequence rules before they start playing. It is an effective way to avoid penalties and master the game rapidly. Here are the Rummy sequence rules, which are a must-know for all the Rummy players -

• The first and most important rule is to meld at least two sequences before you make a declaration. One has to be a pure sequence to make your declaration valid. If you make a valid declaration before your opponents, you win the game with zero points.
• If your declaration turns out to be invalid, you will receive a penalty of 80 points. If only two players are playing, your opponent will automatically declared the winner. The game will continue if more than two players are on the table. Therefore, it is better to check if you have a pure sequence before you make a declaration. We also suggest you start with making a pure sequence. It will also help you to decide when to Drop.
• To make a sequence, you need three cards; you can also create sequences of four consecutive cards. If you have two cards and the middle one is missing, you can use Joker cards to make a sequence.
• While a player must create at least two sequences before they declare their cards, they can also make other sets. However, making sets in a Rummy game is not mandatory but is entirely optional.
• If you see that you have a weaker hand and cannot form pure sequences, then you can Drop from the game. If you Drop before the first draw, you will receive a penalty of 20 points. However, if you decide to drop out of the game after making at least one drop, then it is known as the middle drop, and you receive a penalty of 40 points.

To win the Rummy Games, you must make a valid declaration. Now, the question is how to make a valid declaration. When you have 13 cards in hand, your first goal should be to try and form at least a pure sequence. Moreover, you can make one or more pure or impure sequences considering the cards in your hand. But you need to have two sequences minimum to make a declaration.

Valid declaration with all Pure Sequences -

Create Pure Sequences without using any Joker card. Example of such sequences that will be a valid declaration -

• Without Joker: So, if you have 2, 3, 4, 5 of Spades, or 6, 7, 8 of Hearts, or 7, 8, 9 of Hearts, and 8, 9, 10 of Clubs, you can create a pure sequence.
  
• With a Wild Joker: Suppose you have a Wild Joker, 8, create a pure sequence with 7, 8, and 9 of Spades.

To understand how “Valid Declaration” in Rummy, check this example -

• After the game start you probably have received the following cards: 8, 9, and 10 of Hearts; 4, 5, 5, J of Diamonds; 5 of Clubs, 6 of Hearts as wild Joker, and J of Spades; J of Hearts, J of Clubs & Printed Joker. So, here is already a pure sequence and another potential impure sequence. Now, after the first draw, if you pick 6 of the Diamonds, you can form another pure sequence with 4, 5, and 6 of the Diamonds. You will also have to discard a card. In Rummy, you need to keep your score as low as possible. Thus, you must discard high-value cards like Jack.
  
• Your current arrangement: 8, 9, 10 of Hearts (Pure Sequence); 4, 5, and a Printed Joker (Impure Seqeunce); J of Hearts, J of Clubs, J of Diamonds and J of Spades (Set); 5 of Diamonds, 5 of Clubs, and wild Joker 6 of Hearts. You can now be eligible for a valid declaration.

To make a valid declaration, you can meld your cards in the following ways-

• Four pure sequences
• Three pure sequences
• Three pure sequences plus one impure sequence
• Three pure sequences + one set
• Two pure Sequences
• Two pure sequences + two sets
• Two pure sequences + two impure sequences
• One pure sequence + three impure sequences
• One pure sequence + two impure sequences

If you declare without having two sequences or at least one pure sequence, your declaration will be invalid, causing you a penalty.

• Invalid Declaration with Pure Sequence: You can make a pure sequence, but your declaration may be invalid in the following case:
  
  For example, you have the following card arrangement:
  Ace, 2, and 3 of Hearts, 5 of Spades, Diamonds and Clubs, 5 of Hearts, 6 of Clubs and Printed Joker where 5 of Hearts is not a Wild Joker, K of Spades and Diamonds, and 10 of Spades.
  Here, the first sequence is pure, but there is no other sequence in the arrangement, which makes this declaration invalid.
• Invalid Declaration without Pure Sequence: What if you fail to make any pure sequence? Then here is what the declaration will look like:
  
  6 of Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds (SET), 2 of Hearts, 5 of Diamonds as Wild Joker, 4 of Hearts (Impure Sequence), 8, 9 of Diamonds with 5 of Club as wild joker and Jack of Diamonds (Impure Seqeunce), Queen of Clubs, King of Clubs & 5 of Hearts as wild joker (Impure Seqeunce)
  This arrangement has three sequences but not a pure sequence, which makes the declaration invalid.