Learning to play a new card game can be a challenge. We have included what we believe are the most frequently asked questions about the rules in Irish Rummy below. Keep this handy while you are playing for quick reference and make sure to watch our six minute instruction video if you have not already. Good luck!
RULES FAQs
Quick things to know about the game
The player with the lowest score after the seventh round is crowned the champion. So get your cards to the table each round as fast as you can. A word of warning – in rounds 6 and 7, players must go out without discarding a card (every card in the player’s hand must be played to the table at once). Therefore, only the player going out will have a score of 0. The rest of the players will have BIG scores.
That’s an easy one. 2’s and Leprechauns are wild.
Wild cards can take the place of any card in your set or run. Once they are played to the table, they must remain in your set or run and their value may not change.
There is a different number or cards to deal each round depending on the specific set/run combination for that round. Refer to the quick reference cards that come with each deck or the instruction manual to see how many cards to deal each round and what the specific set/run combination is required. And remember, a player may never play any additional set/run combinations to the table other than those required for that round.
If you have ever played any type of rummy game, you will feel right at home.
A set is defined as three or more cards of the same rank (like three 8’s). They do not need to be of the same suit.
A run is defined as four or more cards in numerical sequence and of the same suit (like the 9, 10, Jack and Queen of the four leaf clover suit).
Wild cards can take the place of any card in your set or run. Once they are played to the table, they must remain in your set or run and their value may not change.
Scoring is pretty straightforward. Once a player goes out and the round ends, the remaining players count the cards left in their hand. That will be their score for the round. Use the quick reference card supplied with each deck of cards for the point values. Add up each players score for the round as you play. The lowest score after seven rounds wins!
For a 2-player game, use one deck, Leprechaun cards included.
For 3-6 players, use two decks, Leprechaun cards included.
The only differences are that 2-player games are played with one deck of cards and there really isn’t any taking a discard out of turn since there are just two players.
You will be Dublin over with laughter!
Starting the game
Pick any player to deal the cards. Priority should be given to anyone who is Irish, especially if they have red hair! Once the cards are dealt, use the remaining cards to create the draw pile and flip over the top card to create the discard pile. Check out the next question to find our if the player to the dealer’s left starts the game.
Great question. The answer is not always – the player who takes the card from the newly created discard pile starts each round. When the cards are dealt and the top card is turned over to create the draw pile, everyone at the table has the option to take the card. Priority starts with the player to the dealer’s left and continues clockwise around the table. If no one takes the card, the player to the dealer’s left draws from the draw pile and the round has begun. If another player takes the card, they finish their turn and play continues to that player’s left.
Unlike taking a card “out of turn” during a round, the player does NOT have to take an extra card from the draw pile on the first play of the round.
Starting and ending your turn and everything in between
Every turn must start with the player drawing a card from either the draw pile or discard pile.
Every turn ends when a player does one of the following:
- Discards to the discard pile.
- Lays down all of their cards on the table which immediately ends both their turn and the round.
- Plays a card onto an opponent’s cards. This option is only permitted if the player has already laid down the required set/run combination for that round.
Much like what happens after the cards are first dealt, every player at the table has to option to take the last card played to the discard pile. This is called taking a card “out of turn.” Priority starts with the player to the dealer’s left and continues clockwise around the table.
When this happens during the round, the player taking the card out of turn must also take one additional card from the top of the draw pile, with one exception: this rule does not apply to the first play of each round or when only two players are playing.
Play returns to the original player whose turn it was. They have the option of taking the newly revealed card on the discard pile or a card from the draw pile.
“Laying down” is when a player plays their set/run combination for the round to the table. To lay down, players must play the FULL set/run combination for that round. A player may never play any additional set/run combinations to the table other than those required for that round.
Laying down can also mean playing a single card to the table. Players can only play single cards to the table AFTER they have played the required set/run combination for that round. Single cards can be played to a player’s own sets and runs or to other players sets and runs. When playing to other player’s card, the player must put their card on their opponents cards.
“Going out” is simply when a player plays their last card. This ends the round.
For Rounds 1-5: Players can go out by discarding their last card or playing it to the table.
For rounds 6-7: Players must play all of their cards to the table at once. They may not discard to go out.
No worries. Just take the discard pile (leaving the top card in place), give them a good shuffle and place them face down on the table to create the new discard pile.
Great question. You can have two winners, you can Ro Sham Bo to determine the winner or you can have the players that tied replay round 1. Your call!
IRISH RUMMY MAKES A WONDERFUL GIFT
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