Instructions Rummy

Objective of the Game
In Rummy, the main objective is to organize your cards into Sets (three or four cards of the same value) and Runs (three or more consecutive cards of the same suit). The player who is first to lay down all his cards in valid combinations wins the round.

Game Materials
You need a deck of 52 cards, often two decks are combined. It can be played by two to six players.

Setup
1. Determine a dealer by having each player draw a card; the player with the highest card is the dealer. 2. All cards are shuffled, and then each player is dealt ten cards (in games with two players, each gets seven cards). 3. The remaining cards are placed face down to form the draw pile. 4. The top card is placed face up next to it, forming the discard pile.

Gameplay
1. The player to the left of the dealer begins. A player's turn consists of: - Drawing one card from either the draw pile or the discard pile. - Trying to declare or form Sets and Runs and lay them down (not mandatory). - Discarding one card from the hand onto the discard pile.

1. The next player repeats this process.

Declarations and Lays
- Cards must be valid combinations to be laid down: Set of equal cards or Run of consecutive cards of the same suit. - You can also lay cards onto existing declarations made by other players.

End of a Round
- A round ends when a player has laid down all his cards. - The other players add up the point value of their remaining cards: - Number cards count their face value. - Jack, Queen, King count 10 points. - The Ace counts 1 point.

Winner
- The player with the lowest total points over several rounds wins the game.

Strategic Tips
- Pay attention to which cards your opponents are drawing and discarding to guess their potential Sets and Runs. - Hold back cards that another player might add to their laid combinations to minimize their points. - Try not to keep high-point cards in hand as opponents near a laydown.

Special Notes
- Rummy is often played with variations: some allow laying cards down right from the first turn, others permit Runs in different suits. Agreeing on uniform rules beforehand helps avoid misunderstandings.