Rummy Terms and Meanings: The Complete Glossary
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The core 13-card rummy terms are: declare, ending the hand by laying down a valid set of melds; drop, folding before (first drop) or after (middle drop) you've drawn, for a smaller penalty than playing on; deadwood, the unmatched cards left in your hand that count against you; and meld, any valid sequence or set. A pure sequence (also called a first life) is three or more consecutive cards of one suit with no joker, and it's required before any other meld counts toward a valid declaration. See the full tables below for every other term, and pure sequence in rummy and rummy points calculation for the rules each term comes from.
Gameplay Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draw | Taking one card, either from the closed deck or the top of the open (discard) pile, on your turn. |
| Discard | Putting one card face-up on the open pile to end your turn, after drawing. |
| Declare (or Show) | Laying down your full hand as valid melds and ending the deal. An invalid declaration is a wrong show. |
| Wrong show | An invalid declaration — usually because there's no pure sequence, or a group doesn't actually form a valid meld. It carries the same penalty as losing with unmatched cards. |
| Meld | Any valid group of cards: a sequence (pure or impure) or a set. |
| Turn | One player's full draw-then-discard action before play passes to the next player. |
Sequence, Set and Joker Terms
| Term | Also called | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Pure sequence | First life | Three or more consecutive cards of one suit, with no joker substituted in. At least one is required to declare. |
| Sequence (impure) | Second life, mixed sequence | Three or more consecutive cards of one suit, with a joker standing in for one of them. |
| Set | Trial, trio | Three or four cards of the same rank, in different suits. |
| Printed joker | Wild joker (card) | A joker card physically in the deck, usable as any card in a meld. |
| Wild joker (cut joker) | Cut card | A rank chosen at random for the deal (by cutting the deck); every card of that rank acts as a joker. |
The full rules behind these terms, including why the pure sequence matters so much for scoring, are in pure sequence in rummy.
Drop and Scoring Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| First drop | Folding before drawing your first card. The smallest penalty, commonly 20 points. |
| Middle drop | Folding after you've drawn at least once. A bigger penalty than a first drop, commonly 40 points. |
| Deadwood | Cards left over that don't form a valid meld when someone else declares. Their face value counts against you, usually capped at 80 points. |
| Full count | The maximum points penalty for a hand, usually 80 — the same cap applied to a wrong show. |
Card values, the worked example and the full penalty table are in rummy points calculation.
Format Names
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Points rummy | A single deal, settled immediately by points converted to chips at an agreed value. See points rummy rules. |
| Pool rummy (101/201) | Points carry over several deals; you're eliminated at the pool limit. See pool rummy rules. |
| Deals rummy | A fixed number of deals with chips exchanged each one; most chips at the end wins. See deals rummy rules. |
| 21 Cards Rummy (Marriage) | A different game entirely: 21 cards, three decks, and dublee/tunnela melds instead of only sequences and sets. See 21 Cards Rummy rules. |
Rummy Terms: FAQ
What does declare mean in rummy?
Laying down your entire hand as valid melds (sequences and sets) to end the deal. If it's invalid, that's a wrong show and carries the full points penalty.
What is a drop in rummy?
Folding out of a hand. A first drop (before drawing) costs less than a middle drop (after drawing), since you're giving up less information and time.
What is deadwood in rummy?
The cards in your hand that aren't part of a valid sequence or set when someone else declares. Their face value is added up against you.
What is first life in rummy?
Another name for a pure sequence: three or more consecutive cards of one suit with no joker. You need at least one to make a valid declaration.
What's the difference between a pure sequence and a regular sequence?
A pure sequence has no joker in it. A regular (impure) sequence uses a joker to stand in for one missing card. Only a pure sequence counts as your required "first life."
What is a wrong show in rummy?
An invalid declaration, most often because there's no pure sequence among the melds shown. It's scored the same as losing with a full hand of deadwood.