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What Is 21 Card Rummy And How Is It Played?

Among the various variants of the rummy card game, one of the most popular and commonly played ones is 21 card rummy. It is an Indian rummy variant that is often enjoyed at Indian marriages and community festivals. Although the 21 card rummy is played in the points rummy format, the basic rules of the game still stay the same. 

The game is played for points which have a pre-decided rupee-based value. As the game proceeds and the player collects the points, the value keeps adding. However, unlike the other variants of rummy, this variant relatively requires a lot of attention to fully understand at the beginning. It is generally played between 2 to 6 players and makes use of three decks of cards. It also used an additional group of Up and Down Jokers besides the standard sets of Printed and Wildcard jokers.

If this variant of the game has caught your interest, and you want to ace this variant to prove your skills, then you’re just in the right place. In this article, we will tell you about all that is there to know about this exciting and challenging rummy game. 

History of 21 card rummy

There is very little or rather no information available on how and where the 21 cards rummy originated. It could possibly be a descendent of the points rummy form because of the similarity in the format and rules followed in points rummy and 21 card rummy. 

Since it is played in Indian marriages and community festivals, it could have originated when large groups of people came together on social occasions. 

Who can play 21 card rummy?

Any rummy player with the skill and who manages to understand and ace this challenging variant of the 21 card rummy can play the game. However, beginners who are new to the world of rummy are advised not to start their rummy journey with the 21 card rummy, as it is relatively difficult to understand. Once you understand and ace the basic rummy variants, you can then move higher to play the 21 card rummy. 

Before you begin playing 21 card rummy, you needs to understand and familiarise yourself with the basic and common terminologies, jargon and the 21 Cards Rummy rules. We have covered everything that is required to know before starting to play 21 card rummy. So read on to know more about this challenging game.

Important Terms In 21 Card Rummy

Upper Joker: The upper joker is one rank above the wild card joker. It is always of the same suit as the wild card joker. For example, if 2c is the joker, then 3c will be the upper joker.  

Lower Joker: Contrary to the upper joker, the lower joker is one rank below the wild card joker. It has the same suit as the wild card joker. For example, if 7s is the wild card joker, then 6s will be the lower joker. 

Tunnela or London: A tunnela or london is a group of three identical cards having the same value and same suit in 21 Card Rummy. For example, 5♥ 5♥ 5♥. A valid Tunnela is when three Printed Jokers are grouped together. Two identical cards with a joker card is not considered as a valid Tunnela or London. As an example, 5♦ 5♦ A♦, wherein Ad is a joker, cannot be considered as a Tunnela.

Dublee: As the name suggests, when two identical cards having the same value are paired together, a Dublee is formed. For example, 4d 4d. SImilar to Tunnela, a Dublee can be formed only with two printed jokers grouped together. It cannot be formed with a wild card joker. 

Value Cards: The cards of the same suit that are upper and lower to the wild card joker are known as value cards. The cards having the same value and suit as the wildcard joker will be considered as a value card. 

The card which is higher to this wild joker card and a card lower will also be considered as Value Cards. These will have the same value as the joker. Upper Joker and Lower Joker are both value cards. For example, if 9h is the wild card joker, then 10h will be upper joker, and 8h will be lower joker. All these three cards, 8h, 9h, Th, together are called value cards.

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How many Deck of cards are used in 21 Card Rummy

21 card rummy is played using three decks of playing cards. Every deck has the standard 52 cards divided into four suits – diamonds, clubs, spades, and hearts. Every deck has one printed joker. A game of 21 card rummy requires a minimum of two and maximum of six players to play. 

21 Card Rummy Rules

As mentioned above, the rules of 21 card rummy games are quite similar to the typical Indian rummy games. However, there are some unique features that make this game stand out and more challenging than ordinary rummy games. 

Below are some rules of 21 card rummy game that you must know:

• In 21 cards rummy game, you must create at least three pure sequences. The remaining cards can be combinations of the valid sets or sequences. The tunnela is also considered as a pure sequence in the 21 card rummy game. 
• The player must make at least three tunnelas of separate group of cards. The remaining cards are then combines in a single group or sometimes left unchanged.
• In the 21 card variant of rummy, as explained above a dublee is a set of two cards with the same rank and suit. Eight dublees make three pure sequences. The player may choose to eliminate the remaining cards. Each one of these pairs must be arranged in individual groups at the time of declaration.
• Players can have eight jokers in a single group at the time of declaration. You can avoid arranging them in a specific order.

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ALSO READ: Top 6 Rummy Apps To Play Online Rummy

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Tips to win 21 Card Rummy

21 card rummy can be a fun and exciting game once you know how to ace it. Here are some tips and tricks to help you ace the 21 card variant of rummy:

• Know the rules – As basic as it may sound, knowing the rules is very crucial. The 21 card variant of the game has specific rules that one must thoroughly understand to make a valid declaration. Aspects such as tunnelas, dublees, etc. make the game easier and give more options for forming combinations.
• Arranging the cards – Once the cards are dealt with, the important thing is to arrange them according to the expected combinations. This will give you a better chance of tracking which card you need to pick or discard. This also helps ito create valuable combinations and avoiding any waste of time.
• Create pure sequences as early as possible – The is one of the most important steps. You must form a valid declaration by making pure sequences as early as possible in the game. Make sure you check the cards in your hand and bring together consecutive cards of the same suit.
• Keep smart cards in your hand – There are some numbers in the cards that can be considered in different combinations. For example, if you have a card of rank 6 of a specific suit, you can combine it with 4,5,6 or 5,6,7, or even 6,7,8. These cards help to create various kinds of combinations and they are known to be smart cards.

Point Calculation in 21 Card Rummy Game

Value Cards Calculation

Point Calculation for Marriage or Jackpot:

• 1 Upper + 1 Same Suit + 1 Lower = 100 points
• 2 Upper + 2 Same Suit + 2 Lower = 300 points
• 3 Upper + 3 Same Suit + 3 Lower = 500 points

Calculations of points for different combination of Value Cards

• 2 Upper Jokers – 30 Points
• 1 Upper Joker, 1 Lower Joker – 20 points
• 2 Upper Jokers, 1 Lower Joker – 40 points
• 2 Same Suit Joker, 2 Lower Jokers – 60 points

Drop Points Calculation

Drop points in 21 card rummy are points that a player loses while playing the game. Have a look at the table below to understand better the number of points that a player loses whenever he/she drops followed by an example.

Each player gets an option to drop out after every round from the game. The drop type depends on if the player has picked a card from the open or closed deck of cards. There are two types of drops available:

First drop: Whenever a player drops out from the game in the very first round and does not pick up any card from any pile, it is known as the first drop. The player loses 30 points at the first drop.

Middle drop: Whenever a player drops out from the game after picking up one or more cards from the draw pile, he/she loses 70 points.

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