Three-Thirteen Rummy

OBJECTIVE OF THREE-THIRTEEN RUMMY: Create set and runs with cards and score the fewest number of points possible.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2-4 players

NUMBER OF CARDS:  standard 52-card for 2 players, 2 decks for 3-4 player

RANK OF CARDS:  K (high), Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A

TYPE OF GAME: 11 round Rummy

AUDIENCE: Adult

SET-UP OF THREE-THIRTEEN RUMMY

The dealer is chosen at random and the deal passes to the left after each round.

Cards are dealt in the following sequence:

Round 1: 3 cards

Round 2: 4 cards

Round 3: 5 cards

Round 4: 6 cards

Round 5: 7 cards

Round 6: 8 cards

Round 7: 9 cards

Round 8: 10 cards

Round 9: 11 cards

Round 10: 12 cards

Round 11: 13 cards

Cards that remain after the deal are placed on the table, face-down, to form a stock pile. The top card is flipped over beside it, this is the discard pile.

THREE-THIRTEEN RUMMY GAMEPLAY

Starting to the left of the dealer, each player draws a card from the stock pile or the discard. If they do not go out (described below), then they discard a single card to the discard pile. Play moves to the left or clockwise.

GOING OUT

During your turn, you may go out if after drawing you are able to form all your cards into sets, with one card left to discard. When a player goes out, they announce it before playing their sets and discarding. All other players have 1 more turn before the round is completed and scoring begins.

There are two kinds of combinations:

  • A set of 3+ cards of the same rank. For example, 6-6-6
  • A run of 3+ cards of the same suit. For example, 3-4-5-6 of diamonds.

Combinations can have more than three cards BUT a card is only valid in a single combination. You cannot add your cards to other players sets or runs.

WILD CARDS

Each round has a different wild card, these cards can be substituted for any other card in a run or set in order to complete it. In order for a set or run to be valid though, at least one none wild card must be played.

Round 1: 3s

Round 2: 4s

Round 3: 5s

Round 4: 6s

Round 5: 7s

Round 6: 8s

Round 7: 9s

Round 8: 10s

Round 9: Jacks

Round 10: Queens

Round 11: Kings

SCORING

During a player’s final turn, they must try to organize their hand into as many sets and runs as possible prior to scoring. Cards that remain in hand are given penalty points.

Ace: 1 point each

Two-Ten: Face Value. For example, a Three is worth 3 points each, and so on.

Jack-King: 10 points each

Scores are accumulated from each round. After the final round (round 11), the player with the lowest score wins. 

REFERENCES:

https://www.thespruce.com/three-thirteen-rummy-411128

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_thirteen

https://www.jungleerummy.com/three_thirteen_rummy

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25 thoughts on “Three-Thirteen Rummy”

    • Hi Marie, yes the rules state you can play a combination of 3 or more cards all of the same suit so a flush of 5 cards all of the same suit is a valid play. Let me know if there is still any confusion or if I misunderstood the question at all.

  4. If a player accidentally discards a wild card, can any player pick it up, or just the next player, before the original player realizes their mistake?

    • HI Judy only the next player to draw will have the option to draw the discarded wild card. If the next player does not draw it then it will no longer be able to be drawn as it will be covered by the next player’s discard. I hope this helps.

  5. Just played the game for the first time. The people that taught us allowed going out even if you had mismatched cards left in their hand.
    Just added the points to their score, is that allowed?
    Thank you,
    Bruce

    • Hi Bruce, in the base game this is not allowed, and I do not know of any variations that allow for this either. When going out you need to have all your cards from hand in sets and have one card remaining to discard. I hope this helps.

  6. Can a discard be a “player” in your hand? Say you have 4 Jacks. Can you discard that fourth Jack? Or must it be a card that is not in any of a players other sequences? Also, there’s no laying down as you go, correct? Laying down and going out are one and the same?
    Thank you,
    Alicia

    • Hi Alicia, yes you may discard a card that can technically be played to your set or run. And yes there is no melding or laying off. you must be able to go out with only the cards in your hand and one discard. I hope this helps.

  7. Is it a card rule, when playing 13, that you must pick up your card first from the deck, before laying down your cards. Or can you do either or?

  8. We use jokers as constant wild cards and should you somehow get stuck with one in hand it costs you 20 points. Plus we allow a sequence of KA2 as a full wrap around.

    • Hi Jody only the next player to draw will have the option to draw the discarded wild card. If the next player does not draw it then it will no longer be able to be drawn as it will be covered by the next player’s discard. I hope this helps.

    • Hi Sheila, yes in order to make a combination it needs to be 3 or more cards either of the same rank or of the same suit in continuous ranking order.

  11. Once one player goes out, do the next players, taking their turn, have to discard? Or can they lay all cards if they play?

    • Hi Pat, yes to go out a player must announce before playing their sets and must have a card to discard. This remains the same for each player whether or not someone has previously gone out.

  12. We play with jokers as wild, you can not go out on your first play (turn) and if you go out first it is scored as a -5. Also, J score as 11, Q is 12 and K is 13. May not be the correct rules we love it and have a blast every Sunday.

  13. We play this game for money. Usually just quarters, but you could use other denominations. Everyone starts with 12 quarters. The winner of each of the 11 rounds gets a quarter from each of the other players. The 12th quarter goes to the winner of the game.

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