Continental Rummy: A Jazzy Game For Rummy Lovers

Continental Rummy is a popular game in which players create specific sequences and sets. It becomes more challenging as the round continues because they have fewer cards to use in subsequent rounds. There is no definite end for this game which means the players play until one of them has amassed enough points to be declared the overall winner. In Continental Rummy, players must be careful when declaring “0” or “0 going out” to confuse opponents and increase their chances of winning.

Moreover, the game is called so as it originated in continental Europe and it later spread to Mexico, South America, the United States, and Canada. Please read this article to find out how to play rummy, the cards, deal with, and calculate the scores.

Difference Between Classic and Continental Rummy

The overall objective when playing continental rummy is to end up on the lowest points. This is determined after playing 7 full hands. The game is played with your standard deck of 52 and a couple of jokers in the pack. At the same time, the classic rummy game is played with either two or six players. Moreover, the number of card decks depends on the number of players. The Joker is a vital card in the classic rummy, and the ranking of the cards is high to low- 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen king, ace. 

Essentials of Continental Rummy

How Are the Cards Dealt?

So, get yourself two decks of cards and two jokers, and shuffle the cards to your heart’s (excuse the pun) content. After, get each player to pick one from the deck. As is common, the player with the lowest card deals first. Time to shuffle the deck again and it’s time for the dealer to, well, deal. After that, the dealer shuffles another time, and they deal 6 to each player, however many it takes so that everyone gets a total of 18 cards in their hands.

The aces in continental rummy are high- J, Q, K, A and low as in A,2,3,4. On the other hand, players should refrain from going around the corner- Q,k, A,2,3. While playing continental rummy, you can even play with a trio that might contain a Joker. 

How Many Cards Are Dealt With?

If there are more players in continental rummy, to calculate the deck by dividing the number of players by 2. For instance, 

● For four players- 2 decks

● For five players – 3 decks

● For six players – 3 decks

● For seven players – 4 decks

● For eight players – 4 decks

 In Continental rummy, Jokers and red Aces are considered as wildcards. 

Jazz Up Your Gameplay

The person starts by picking a card from either their pile or the pile below (the discard pile) to the dealer’s left. Once they have chosen one card, they must ask another player if they have that card in their hand. If so, that player must give it to them (it’s important to note at this point that both players could be caught up in a good conversation and not paying attention!). Next, the first player can either pick another card from their pile or the discard pile or end their turn by discarding a card from their hand into the discard pile. 

While a player is having their turn, if any player has formed the perfect combination of cards, they might drop, which means putting them on the table in front of other players. However, a play must drop the cards only if they are part of the duly made contract. However, the other extra cards must be played in trios and runs that the players hold in their hands. Therefore, you must concentrate on building the required combinations. The scores are calculated when one of the players has dropped the required combinations and gotten rid of their last card. 

Joker – The Game Changer

On their turn, a player may end a run by dropping two cards to place a card’s face value in play into “reserve”. For example, if a player has dropped the run A,2,3, Joker and has 3 Aces in reserve, they may move the Joker to start the next run. The new run would then be A, Joker,2,3. If you place a Joker as the first or last card of a run, it too may be moved to another run. However, it cannot be moved if there are only three cards left in any given run.

How Are the Scores Calculated?

As a beginner, you might be intrigued by the different rummy variations. While getting excited while playing continental rummy is expected, you should know the rules and how the scores are calculated. The scores are calculated based on the cards left in the players’ hands in continental rummy. The player with a Joker earns 50 points, a player holding an Ace gets 11 points, K-10 brings in 10 points, and 9-2 cards bring points in the face value. On the other hand, if any player discards their final card in a single turn, 10 points are subtracted from their overall score. 

Conclusion

Rummy is an interesting game and has several variations, and every variation helps you get yourself entertained for hours. Continental rummy is a great way to enjoy the card game at functions or while spending time with your friends. The rules of continental rummy are simple and easy to understand. There aren’t any significant differences between classic rummy and continental rummy. People who have aced classic rummy might find it interesting to try their hands at continental rummy.