How to play Rummy 45

Rummy 45 — in Romanian Remi etalat — is the most popular form of tile rummy in Romania. The goal is to lay the tiles from your rack on the table in melds and to go out before everyone else. Below are the complete rules, exactly as they are played on Remi Online.

The tiles and the deal

The game uses 106 tiles: the numbers 1 to 13 in four colours (red, yellow, blue and black), two of each, plus 2 jokers. It is played by 2, 3 or 4 players.

The first player gets 15 tiles, everyone else 14. Then one tile is turned face up — the Atu (trump tile). Whoever lays down a tile identical to the Atu scores extra points. If the Atu is a 1 (Ace) or a joker, the whole round scores double.

Melds

• Run: at least 3 consecutive tiles of the same colour, for example red 7-8-9. The Ace can go at the start (1-2-3) or at the end (12-13-1), but not in the middle (13-1-2 is not allowed).
• Set: 3 or 4 tiles with the same number, all in different colours, for example red 5, yellow 5 and black 5.
• The joker can replace any tile in a meld.

A turn

1. Draw a tile from the pile or take the last tile discarded by the player before you. A tile taken from the discards must be used in that same turn.
2. Lay down new melds or add tiles to melds already on the table (once you have made your first meld).
3. Discard one tile. That ends your turn.

On each player’s first turn nobody lays down — you only draw and discard.

The first meld: 45 points

The first time you put melds on the table you need, in the same turn, at least 45 points and at least one set and one run. Points are counted like this: tiles 2 to 9 are worth 5 points, tiles 10 to 13 are worth 10 points, and a joker is worth the tile it replaces. The Ace is worth 25 points in a set (1-1-1), 5 points in a 1-2-3 run and 10 points in a 12-13-1 run.

On the turn of your first meld you may only add tiles to your own melds. You can add to other players’ melds from your next turn.

Jokers on the table

If you hold the tile that a joker on the table is standing in for, you can take the joker by putting your tile in its place. The joker you take must be used straight away in a new meld. A joker cannot be taken from a 3-tile set — the set must first be completed to 4 tiles. A joker that has been taken once stays turned over and cannot be taken again.

Taking from deeper in the discards

Once you have melded, instead of drawing from the pile you can “break from below” (rupt de jos): choose an older tile from the row of discards and take it together with every tile discarded after it. The tile you chose must go into a new meld in the same turn; the others stay on your rack. You cannot break from the first tile discarded in the round, nor when you only have 2 tiles left.

Pairs

At the start of the round, if you have a pair (two identical tiles) you can swap one of them with another player who also has a pair. If you have 3 pairs you can call a redeal: the tiles are shuffled and dealt again.

Going out

You go out when you have no tiles left on your rack (you discard the last one). You get a 50-point bonus. If you go out by discarding a joker, your points for the round are doubled. Details on scoring are in the scoring guide.

Tips for beginners

• Save your jokers for the melds you are missing for your first meld.
• Watch what the others discard: if someone throws a red 7, they are probably not collecting the red run around 7.
• Don’t wait too long with your first meld: if someone goes out and you haven’t melded, you lose 100 points.
• In the game, the “Hint” button shows you a good move when you are unsure what to do.

Frequently asked questions

Read also: How to play Rummy 45 · Rummy 45 scoring · Play Rummy online with friends