The games · Coolhand Cards

Rommé

The rummy of Germany and Austria, on two decks and their jokers. Build sets and runs, open with forty on the table, and empty your hand first.

Players: 2 to 6
Family: Rummy
App: Coolhand Cards · iOS and Android, soon

How it goes

Two decks and their jokers are used as one. The stock's top card starts the pile. Each turn, take the top card of the stock or the pile, meld or lay off if you may, then throw one. A meld is a set, three or four of a rank in different suits, or a run, three or more in a row of one suit, ace low or high, never around the corner. A joker is any card you name. Your first melds each hand must total forty in one turn: face cards ten, number cards their pips, aces eleven, or one in A-2-3. Emptying your hand, by meld or throw, ends the hand. The others count what they hold, aces eleven and jokers thirty. The lowest total over the whole session wins.

A good hand

Getting your forty down early. Until then you may only draw and throw, while the others lay off, adding cards to any meld on the table, and shed cards every turn. A joker counts as the card it stands for, so one in a run of face cards is ten toward the forty. Once you're down, look for a joker in anyone's meld whose real card you hold. Swap it out, and put it straight into a new meld that turn. A joker on the table is there for the taking.

The usual mistake

Sitting on melds in your hand for a big finish, until someone goes out and every face card counts ten against you. Trying to lay off before your own forty is down, which isn't allowed. Building a set with two cards of one suit: with two decks every card has a twin, and a set needs every suit different. Two jokers in a meld of three. And a joker held to the end, which costs thirty.

Played differently where you are?

Card games change from table to table, and we researched some of these games instead of playing them. If Rommé goes differently where you play it, tell us. That's one of the things the closed beta is for.

The closed beta is by invitation. How to ask to join.