Kalooki 40 Rummy Card Game

Kalooki is for you if you are a card lover and enjoy a strategy game. It is an exciting variation of the classic Rummy, also known as Jamaican, due to its similarities with Gin and Contract Rummy.

Read more about Kalooki 40 Rummy, gameplay, and the scoring system.

What Is Kalooki 40 Rummy Game

Kalooki 40 belongs to the Rummy family. It is a combination of Gin Rummy and Contract Rummy with additional rules. To win, you discard your cards and score 40.

You need two decks of cards and two jokers to play, making it 106 cards.

Players and cards

To play, you need two decks of cards. Three to eight players can play the game.

Point value of cards

How to Play Kalooki?

• The game begins when the dealer shuffles the deck and deals 13 cards to each player.
• The rest of the cards form a middle stack called a draw pile.
• To start, flip the top card of the draw pile and place it next to the stack. The objective is to be the first one to shed all your cards.
• The gameplay consists of melds in the form of sets and runs. A set is three or more cards of the same rank. A run is the same suit in sequence, three cards or more. A run could be 13, while a set can have up to 4 cards.
• You can draw a card from the discard or the draw pile on your turn. You can only use the last card played when drawing from the discard pile.
• On a turn, the player gets to meld and add to existing melds.
• A joker can help in replacing the cards. A  joker's penalty value is always 25 per joker.
• All points for the cards in non-winners hands are tabulated and used to determine the player's rank. The person with the most points is always in last place.
• If the winner "goes Kalooki", an additional 15 points is added to everyone's penalty.
• You can Kalooki even if you add melds, but not if you pick them up from the discard pile.
• Prizes are awarded by place, and the winner gets 75% of the pot.

Sets

A set is a group of cards with the same numbers but different suits. For example, 4♥ 4♦ 4♠ is a set. A run is a sequence of cards in the same suit in numerical order. For example 4♦, 5♦, 6♦ is a run. 

Deal

Each player gets 13 cards, and the rest form a draw pile. The pile's top card is flipped and placed next to it to start the discard pile.

Scoring

You need at least 40 to lay down and your first sets or runs. To begin with, first look at your hand and try to form a set(s) or run (s). Calculate your points. For example:

3, 4, 5 of hearts (run): 3 + 4 + 5 = 12 points

Three Kings (set): 10 + 10 + 10 = 30 points

Total: 12 + 30 = 42 points

Since 42 is more than 40, you can lay down these sets and runs.

After lying down, you draw cards from the draw pile. You can continue adding cards to your sets or your opponents' sets—the round ends when you discard all your cards.

After the round, everyone calculates their scores, and the player with the lowest score wins.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Is Ace high or low in Kalooki?

Regardless of the point value, Ace can be higher or lower.

Where is Kalooki from?

Kalooki is from Jamaica.

How many players are in Kalooki?

Three to Eight players.

How many packs of cards for Kalooki?

Two to Four packs with jokers.

Conclusion 

Now that you have learned the basics of Kalooki 40 Rummy, start practising. Call your friends, set a table, and enjoy a game. You can also refer to online resources to learn more about the game and even register on online platforms to practice.