Do not get dismayed by the colorful tiles, playing Rummikub is as simple as any other game in the family. The creator did add a few curves to make this game a unique playing experience. It is one of the most popular games because of its uniqueness. To play well requires concentration, creativity and a bit of skill and foresight. We will run through some of the basics to get you started.
• Played by 2-4 people
• The game consist of a two sets of tiles in four color schemes numbered 1-13 and two joker tiles
• Players are dealt 14 tiles
• Be the first player without any tiles and win the game
• There are 2 types of melds runs and sets
• You can meld a set with any 3 tiles
• You can meld a run with up to 13 tiles
• This is the only game that you can take apart an existing meld to create new ones
• There are three move choices –draw, melding and discarding
• To take advantage of being able to disassemble a meld the player has to have a meld with at least a 30 point total
• In order to build on melds you need one with 30 points in it
• In order to disassemble a meld you have to add at least one tile to each new meld you make
• You do not have to draw to meld
• You always have to discard whether you draw or just meld
• The game ends at 200 points
As you can well see it is quite a departure from what you have become accustomed to in rummy. As with all games like this, the more you play the better you become. We suggest that you take advantage of free play and the game demos on most of the rummy sites.