Rummy Sequence Chart: Strongest to Weakest

These are the only twelve runs in rummy. Any three consecutive cards of the same suit make one, as long as the order is not broken and the ace is not bent round the corner.

A valid sequence in rummy is three or more consecutive cards of the same suit, in order, with no gaps.

• Three cards is enough. A, 2, 3 counts. So do 9, 10 and a jack.
• All the cards must be the same suit. Mixing suits turns a run into nothing.
• The order has to be unbroken. 8, 9 and 11 is not a sequence, however close it looks.
• The ace can sit at either end. A 2 3 is a run, and Q K A is a run.
• A run that uses a joker is an impure sequence. You need at least one pure sequence to declare.

A sequence is the first half of rummy. The second half is a set: three or four cards of the same rank in different suits, such as three sevens.

A pure sequence is made only of real cards in one suit. An impure sequence uses a joker to complete the run.

• Pure sequence: 7 8 9 of hearts, no joker anywhere. This is the one you must have.
• Impure sequence: 7 8 and a joker standing in for the nine of hearts.
• You need at least two sequences to declare, and one of them has to be pure.
• A set can also use a joker. Three sevens plus a joker for the fourth seven is legal.

This is the rule that trips up most new players. Two impure sequences will get your declaration rejected, no matter how good the rest of the hand looks.

The highest sequence in rummy is Q K A. It is the top of the twelve runs.

• Q K A is the strongest run, because the ace counts high at the top of the deck.
• J Q K is the second strongest.
• 10 J Q and 9 10 J sit just below that.
• A 2 3 is the lowest run in the game.

The ace is the only card that can appear at both ends of the ladder. That is why A 2 3 and Q K A both work, while K A 2 does not.

You need at least two sequences to declare in 13-card rummy, and one of them must be pure.

• Two sequences, one pure. That is the minimum for a legal declaration.
• The rest of your 13 cards must all sit in valid sequences or valid sets.
• Jokers count towards the meld they complete, but never towards the pure one.

A wrong declaration costs 80 points, so the safe habit is to check every card against the list above before you hit the button.

An ace is worth 10 points if it is left out of a valid meld, the same as every face card.

• Ace: 10 points.
• King, queen and jack: 10 points each.
• Two to ten: their face value.
• Joker: 0 points. It only helps you finish a meld.

You only pay for the cards that did not make it into a sequence or a set. A clean hand costs nothing.

No. K A 2 is not a valid sequence in rummy. The ace cannot be bent round the corner.

• A 2 3 is valid. The ace goes low.
• Q K A is valid. The ace goes high.
• K A 2 is not valid. The deck does not wrap around.

If you have K A 2 in your hand, treat it as three loose cards and try to build around them instead.

The maximum is 80 points, and no player can lose more than 80 in a single game.

• First drop, declaring before you draw: 20 points.
• Middle drop, after you have drawn: 40 points.
• Wrong declaration: 80 points.
• Total points on the table are capped, so the real score never runs away from you.

That cap is the reason rummy is a much softer game than it looks. The worst case is known before you start.