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Indian Classic Rummy – A Game that offers Unmatched Entertainment

By Suraj Jaysawal August 10, 2021

Are you an avid rummy fan? Have you tried your hands at various rummy variants? If yes, you must have heard or played Indian Classic Rummy online. This game is also called ‘Paplu’ and is very popular in India.

Paplu has 2 formats, 13 cards and 21 cards. The 13 card Paplu is the most common and is played with great enthusiasm. Paplu is believed to be a combination of popular rummy games, Gin Rummy and Rummy 500. This game is the first pick during family gatherings, kitty parties, or during a long trip.

Cards and Number of Players in Indian Classic Rummy

Indian Classic Rummy is played by 2 to 10 players. If it is being played among 2-6 players, then 2 standard decks of 52 cards are used. These decks include 2 printed jokers. For an Indian Classic Rummy game with 7 or more players, 3 standard decks of 52 cards are used.

So, for 2-6 players, there are 106 cards in total and for 7 or more players, there are 159 cards in total. 

13 Card Indian Classic Rummy Online

The main objective of the 13 card Indian Classic Rummy is to turn your cards into sets and runs.

Assign a Dealer

To get things underway, a dealer needs to be assigned. Each player selects a random card from the deck, the one with the highest card chooses his seat, while the one with the lower card becomes the dealer.

Gameplay

The dealer shuffles the cards thoroughly and distributes 13 cards to each player. He then picks a joker (random, can be wild or printed) from the card deck and places it on the table . All the remaining cards are placed face down.

After arranging the cards, a player can draw a card from the closed card deck or from the pile of previously discarded cards. Each round goes from left to right, where a player arranges the cards, picks one, and discards one.  

Winning a 13 Card Indian Classic Rummy Game

To win a 13 card Indian Classic Rummy game, a player must form 2 valid sequences of runs or sets and say ‘Paplu’. A set is where you put together cards of the same rank but different suits. For example, 4 of diamonds, 4 of spades, and 4 of hearts is a set. A sequence of cards of the same suit is called a run. For example, 3 of spades, 4 of spades, and 5 of spades.

21 Card Indian Classic Rummy Online

21 card Indian classic rummy is played with 3 standard decks of cards. Each deck has 52 cards plus one printed joker.

Assigning a Dealer

The dealer and the player order is decided by the throw of a dice. The player with the highest number from the dice throw becomes the starting player, while the one with the lowest becomes the dealer. 

Gameplay

The gameplay of the 21 card Indian Classic Rummy is the same as that of the 13 card Indian Classic Rummy, except that the dealer deals 21 cards to each player.

Winning a 21 Card Indian Classic Rummy Game

To win a 21 card Indian Classic Rummy game, a player must form a minimum 3 pure sequences and the remaining can be sets or runs. When a player declares a win, he earns the losing points of all the remaining players.

Jokers

If you play classic rummy, you must know that jokers are the most valuable cards. They are used to replace any card to form sets and runs. A dealer chooses the value of jokers at the beginning of the game. For example, if the dealer decides the worth of a joker as 7, then you can use jokers the same way as 7s.

Packaging

If a player feels that he has been dealt a bad hand, he can choose to pack. His cards will be added to the bottom of the card pile. If the packing is done before the first run, the player has to pay 10 points to the winner. In case the packing is done after the first run, the player has to pay 40 points to the winner.

Scoring in Indian Classic Rummy

To play and win classic rummy games, you must know how scoring works. If you win a game by declaring Paplu, all the other players have to count their points. These points are the ones that they owe to you.

Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 are worth 10 points. Numbered cards are worth their face value, while jokers carry no points. The winner will also receive packing points as explained above.

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