Rummy glossary

Suivi (run)(run, sequence, suite, escalera, سويفي)

At least three consecutive cards of the same suit, for example a Suivi (7♥ 8♥ 9♥). Called a run or sequence in other rummy games.

Natural Suivi(pure sequence, pure run, tierce franche)

A Suivi (3♣ 4♣ 5♣) with no joker. Required to open in Rummy 71 and, under the app’s current rule, for a partner’s first lay-down in Rummy 71. In Rummy 71, after taking from the discard pile, the opening must include one that does not contain the taken card.

Tria (set)(Tirsi, set, group, trío, تريا)

Three or four cards of the same rank, all in different suits, for example a Tria (9♠ 9♥ 9♦). Two identical cards can never be in it.

Meld(combination, combinaison, combinación)

A run (5♥ 6♥ 7♥) or a set (4♠ 4♥ 4♦). Every card on the table belongs to a meld.

Joker(wild card, comodín, جوكر)

A card that replaces any other in a meld, one per meld. 2 jokers in the pack (4 in Rummy 51). A discarded joker is never taken back and is never the tournante; left in hand it costs 20 points in Rummy 51 and 71.

Ace low / Ace high(as bas, as haut)

The Ace goes at the bottom of a run (A♥ 2♥ 3♥), worth 1 point, or at the top of a run (Q♥ K♥ A♥), worth 10 points, never both: K-A-2 is not allowed.

Stock(draw pile, talon, mazo)

The face-down pile you draw from. When empty, it is rebuilt from the discard pile (except its top card), reshuffled.

Discard pile(jetée, défausse, descarte, الرمية)

The pile where each player throws a card at the end of their turn. Only its top card can be taken.

Hand(main, mano)

The cards you hold. 13 in Simple, 14 in Rummy 51 and 71, one more for the dealer.

Suit(couleur, enseigne, palo)

Spades ♠, hearts ♥, diamonds ♦ or clubs ♣. A Suivi (2♦ 3♦ 4♦) is all one suit; a Tria (J♠ J♥ J♦) has only different suits.

Face card(figure, court card, figura)

Jack, Queen or King: 10 points for the opening as well as for penalties (Rummy 51 and 71).

Deal(distribution, donne, reparto)

In Simple, 3 cards each then 2 at a time; in Rummy 51 and 71, 2 at a time. The dealer, served last, takes 3 cards in the last pass.

Dealer(donneur, repartidor)

The player who deals. They get one extra card and start without drawing. The deal passes to the right each round.

Round(hand, manche, mano)

One complete deal, from dealing the cards until a player discards their last card.

Draw(piocher, robar)

Take one card from the stock or the discard pile at the start of your turn. Only one per turn.

Discard(jeter, descartar)

Place one card face up on the discard pile, which ends your turn.

Taking the discard(prise dans la jetée, robar del pozo)

Taking the top card of the discard pile instead of drawing. Free in Simple; in Rummy 51 and 71 the card must be laid down that turn. Never discarded again the same turn, and never a joker.

Last card(one card left, dernière carte)

With a single card in hand you draw from the stock: neither the discard pile nor the tournante. That card is not laid down; it is used to go out.

First round of turns(premier tour)

The very first trip around the table in a round: nobody lays anything down until play returns to the dealer.

Tournante

In all three variants (Simple, Rummy 51 and 71), the dealer’s first discard, set aside. During the first round of turns anyone can take it instead of drawing, like a drawn card; otherwise it goes under the discard pile when play returns to the dealer. A joker is never the tournante.

Opening(going down, ouverture, bajar, النزول)

Your first lay-down of the round in Rummy 51 and 71: at least 51 or 71 points (or the current threshold), with the melds the variant requires.

Threshold(seuil, umbral)

The total needed to open: 51 or 71 to start with, then the other side’s first opening + 1.

Lay down(meld, étaler, bajar)

Put melds on the table. In Simple, you lay down your whole hand except one card at once.

Lay off(add on, ajouter, añadir)

Add cards to a meld already on the table, yours or another player’s, opponents included (Rummy 51 and 71, after opening).

Swap the joker(échanger le joker)

Take back a joker on the table by replacing it with the exact card it represents. Only for a player who has opened; in a set (9♠ 9♥ 9♦), only if the joker is the fourth card.

Closing card(last card)

The card you always keep in hand; discarding it ends the round. You can never lay down all your cards.

Go out(fermer, sortir, cerrar)

Discard your last card and win the round.

Lay everything down to go out(tout étaler pour fermer)

In Rummy 51 and 71, laying down all your cards but one in a single move, even below the threshold, then going out.

Loose card(dead card, carte isolée, carta suelta)

A card with no neighbour of the same suit and no card of the same rank in your hand: the first candidate for discarding.

Playable card(carte entrante)

A card that can be added to a meld already on the table, for example the 10♠ at the end of a Suivi (7♠ 8♠ 9♠). Discarding it in front of an opponent who has opened is often a gift.

Spare card(carte de réserve)

In Rummy 51 and 71, a playable card you deliberately keep in hand instead of laying it off, so you don’t end your turn with a single card and can still take the discard next turn.

Going rummy(rami sec)

Laying everything down at once without having opened before, then going out. Allowed in the app, with no doubling of penalties.

Simple(Simple rummy)

Variant where you keep everything in hand and go out in one move with at least a run (6♦ 7♦ 8♦) and a set (8♠ 8♥ 8♣).

Talaj 51(Rummy 51, Rami 51, la 51)

Variant where the opening must be worth at least 51 points, with no required meld; 4 jokers.

Talaj 71(Rummy 71, Rami 71)

Variant where the opening must be worth 71 points with a run (8♠ 9♠ 10♠) and a set (9♠ 9♥ 9♦), without jokers.

1 vs 1(duel, 1v1)

Two-player format; the game is lost at 251 points.

2 vs 2(partners, team rummy, en parejas)

Four-player format in two teams, partners opposite each other; the game is lost at 451 points.

Partner(teammate, partenaire, compañero, شريك)

Your teammate in 2 vs 2. Once they have opened, you lay down without a threshold.

Penalty(pénalité, penalización)

Points taken by the losing side. In Simple: a fixed 100 per loser (200 for the team in 2 vs 2). In Rummy 51 and 71: cards in hand (face cards 10, Ace 11, joker 20), or 100 for a player who laid nothing down.

Opening points(points d’ouverture, puntos de bajada)

Card values used to reach the threshold: 2 to 10 = face value, face cards 10, Ace 1 (A-2-3) or 10 (Q-K-A, Tria (A♠ A♥ A♣)), joker = the card it replaces in Rummy 51. Nothing to do with penalties.

Game limit(451, 251, limite de partie)

The penalty total that loses the game: 451 in 2 vs 2, 251 in 1 vs 1.

Dead round(manche nulle)

Very rare: the stock is empty and there is nothing to reshuffle. The round ends with no winner and nobody pays.

See these words in action: the complete rummy rules, Rummy 51 and partners rummy.