Learn how to play the Oklahoma rummy game

Rummy, being such a popular game played all over the world, has become a versatile game with numerous variations. One such popular variation is Oklahoma Rummy. 

The basics of the Oklahoma rummy game

If you know how to play rummy and gin, then a game of Oklahoma rummy will be very easy to play. 

Oklahoma rummy is played between 2-4 players with 52 cards. The number of cards dealt depends on the number of individuals playing. If there are 2 players, then the cards dealt are 10. Whereas if there are 3-4 players, then 7 cards are dealt. 

In this game, the players must aim to get rid of all their cards by melding them into sets and sequences. To recap, you can form a group by melding three to four cards of the same rank but a different suit. You can also form a sequence by melding 3 or 4 cards of consecutive ranks of the same suit. Once your hand is ready, you lay them down to show your cards. 

How to play

Now, let us get into the fun part – How to Play Oklahoma Rummy! 

The game begins just like the traditional rummy game. A dealer is chosen at random and the cards are distributed. Once each player has their cards, the dealer puts the rest of the deck down forming a stockpile and the discard pile. The player sitting to the left of the dealer starts the game by either picking the card from the stockpile or the discard pile, after which they discard a card of their own. The game continues in a clockwise manner, wherein each player picks a card and discards it until their hand is ready. The first player who sets up their hand is considered the winner. 

Furthermore, there are a few processes in the Oklahoma rummy game i.e gin, knocking, and undercut. 

Gin in Oklahoma rummy is when the player has formed melds of cards in sets and sequences. Once that is done, they lay down their cards and say ‘Gin’, indicating that you have finished your game. 

The Oklahoma rummy game comes to an end once a player knocks. Knocking can be done when a player is confident that they have created enough sets and sequences by discarding a card and ensuring they have 10 or fewer points.  A player can knock at any point in their turn, however, it must be done only after picking a card and before discarding a card. 

After discarding the card, the knocker must lay down their cards. If none of the players is able to match their cards to the knocker, it means that they have gone ‘Gin’. Going Gin helps the player 20 extra points. However, if the opponent has fewer points than the knocker, then the knocker loses their points. The difference between the knocker’s and opponent’s points are awarded to the opponent. 

An Undercut occurs during the process of knocking. If the knocker has not gone ‘gin’ i.e if they have higher points, then the opponent can add their melds to the knocker’s cards in order to reduce their deadwood cards. This leads to the opponent being awarded extra 10 points. 

The point system 

The point system is quite straightforward in Oklahoma Rummy

• In this form of rummy, the higher the points, the better. The first one to reach 100 points is the winner. 
• Unlike in Indian Rummy, in this game the face cards i.e K, Q and J carry 10 points each. Ace has 1 point and 2-9 carry points equal to their face value. For example, a card with the number 2 is 2 points, and a card with the number 5 is 5 points.
• The player having the highest score wins. 

Final thoughts

One of the best features of rummy is that multiple variants of it are played worldwide. Oklahoma Rummy, being one of them, is the perfect way to ace your rummy game and gin! 

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