Objective of the Game
Lorum is a card game often described as a mix between Poker and Rummy. The main goal of the game is to have the fewest points by skillfully collecting card combinations and discarding low-value cards.
Game Materials
- A standard 52-card deck.
- Optional: 2-4 Jokers.
- Paper and pen for scoring.
Setup
- Choose one player to be the dealer.
- The dealer shuffles the deck and deals ten cards to each player.
- The remaining cards form a face-down draw pile in the center.
- The top card is placed face-up next to it to start the discard pile.
Gameplay
The game proceeds in several rounds, played in clockwise order.
- Drawing: On each player's turn, they start by either:
- drawing the top card from the draw pile,
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or taking the top card from the discard pile.
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Combining: Players then attempt to lay down cards in valid combinations:
- Sets: Three or more cards of the same rank (e.g., three kings).
- Sequences: Three or more consecutive cards of the same suit (e.g., 5, 6, 7 of hearts).
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Note: Jokers can substitute for any card.
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Laying Down: If players have valid combinations, they can lay them down face-up during their turn.
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Discarding: At the end of their turn, a player must discard one card of their choice onto the discard pile.
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End of Round: The round ends when a player successfully lays down all cards and discards their final card.
- All other players sum up the points of the remaining cards in their hands (Aces count as 1 point, King/Queen/Jack count as 10 points each, number cards at face value).
- Special rule: If anyone left holding an unused joker, it counts as 25 points.
Winning
The game is played over multiple rounds until a player reaches a set number of points (e.g., 100 points). The player with the fewest points at the end is the winner.
Strategic Tips
- Aim to dispose of high-point cards early, especially face cards, which can be costly.
- Pay attention to cards other players pick up or discard to inform your discard decisions.
- Use jokers wisely to avoid the high penalty associated with ending up with them unused.
