How to Play Liverpool Rummy: Card Game Rules

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A full guide to dealing the deck, playing a round, and tallying scores
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If you want a simple but competitive card game to try out with your friends, Liverpool Rummy is a fun twist on a classic. Whether you’re learning to play for the first time or just need a quick refresher, we’ve got everything you need to get started with your game. Keep reading, and we’ll cover all the rules to set up and play, plus strategies that can help you win!

Liverpool Rummy Rules Overview

In a game, players play “sets” of cards with the same value or sequential “runs” in the same suit determined by the current round. Add cards to sets and runs until one person runs out of cards. Earn points for leftover cards, and win if you have the lowest score after 7 rounds.

Section 1 of 6:

How to Deal Liverpool Rummy

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  1. Use 2 decks for 3-4 players, or 3 decks if 5-8 people are playing. Shuffle the card decks together, including the Jokers, so the cards are thoroughly mixed. [1]
    • Aces count both as higher than a King or lower than a 2. From highest to lowest value, cards rank A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-A.
    • Jokers are considered Wild cards and can be counted as any value.
  2. Choose a player to be the first dealer. Have the player to the right of the dealer cut the deck before dealing. If you’re just starting the game, deal out 10 cards face-down to each person. Players can look at their own hands, but keep them hidden from everyone else. [2]
    • During rounds 1-4, deal 10 cards to each player.
    • For rounds 5-7, deal 12 cards to each player instead.
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  3. Set any leftover cards into a deck in the middle of the table where all the players can reach them. Flip the top card of the deck face-up and set it nearby to form the discard pile. [3]
    • If the cut cards were the exact amount needed to deal out hands and start the discard pile, the player who cut the deck subtracts 50 points from their score as a bonus. If it’s the first round, it’s okay to have negative points.
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Section 2 of 6:

Playing a Round of Liverpool Rummy (Rules)

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  1. The player to the left of the dealer takes the first turn of the game. Either take the face-up card on top of the discard pile or draw the next card from the deck to add it to your hand. [4]
    • If a player chooses to draw from the deck, all other players have the opportunity to buy the card on top of the discard pile. If a player wants the card, they may take it from the discard. However, they must also take the top card of the deck as a penalty.
      • If multiple players want the top discard, whichever player is next closest in turn order gets the card.
  2. A meld is another name for a combination of cards. Melds are either sets of 3 or more cards with the same rank, or sequential runs of 4 or more cards of the same suit. Players may only meld once per round, and it must follow the current round’s requirements. Play the meld cards face-up on the table. The round requirements are: [5]
    • Round 1: 2 sets of 3
    • Round 2: 1 set of 3 and 1 run of 4
    • Round 3: 2 runs of 4
    • Round 4: 3 sets of 3
    • Round 5: 2 sets of 3, and 1 run of 4
    • Round 6: 1 set of 3, and 2 runs of 4
    • Round 7: 3 runs of 4 with no cards remaining in your hand
    • You may use Jokers to replace any card, but you must have at least 2 “natural cards” in a set (ex: A-A-Joker) or 3 natural cards in a run (ex: 3-4-Joker-6).
  3. Once a player lays down the required meld for the round, then they’re allowed to play any number of cards to melds that are on the table. Players can add to their own melds or melds from another player. [6]
    • If there’s a Joker in a meld, a player can replace it with the correct card as long as they’re able to play it to a meld by the end of their turn. For example, if a run has the 7 spades - 8 spades - Joker - 10 spades, you could replace the Joker with a 9 of spades.
  4. At the end of a turn, the active player has to choose 1 card in their hand that they don’t want anymore. Set the card face-up on the discard pile so it’s available to the next player.
  5. The player to the left takes the next turn and continues clockwise around the table. As soon as one person plays or discards the last card in their hand, the round ends. [7]
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Section 3 of 6:

How to Score a Liverpool Rummy Hand

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  1. Any cards that players have left over add points to their score depending on their values. Point values may vary depending on the group you’re playing with, so clarify the rules to make sure you’re all on the same page. Typically, penalty points for each card are: [8]
    • Jokers and Aces: 15 points
    • Kings, Queens, and Jacks: 10 points
    • 2-10: face value
Section 4 of 6:

How to Win Liverpool Rummy

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  1. The person who started the last round becomes the dealer for the next round. After playing through all 7 rounds of the game and tallying up points, whoever had the lowest score is the winner! [9]
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Section 5 of 6:

Liverpool Rummy Strategies

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  1. Lower-ranked cards are worth fewer points at the end of a round, so you won’t get penalized with a lot of points if another player goes out before you make your melds.
  2. Jokers are tied with Aces for the most points, but it’s easier to play Jokers in your melds. As soon as you gain a Joker, try to lay it down in your meld or put it in another player’s meld so you aren’t caught with it at the end of the round.
    • While you can discard a Joker at the end of your turn like a normal card, another player could potentially use it right away. If you’re near the end of a round, discarding a Joker may be the safest play.
  3. Keep your eye on the discard pile to see what your opponents are taking and what cards they’re getting rid of. If you see them taking a lot of cards in the same suit, you can guess they’re going for runs. If you saw them take cards of the same value, they may be using those cards in a set.
  4. While it may seem strange to give your opponents what they need, they’ll also have to draw a card as a penalty which can slow them down near the end of a round.
  5. If you see your opponent taking a lot of one suit or rank, try to pick up and save a few of those cards in your hand. That way, if your opponent plays a meld with those cards, you can lay down your cards on them on your turn. [10]
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Section 6 of 6:

How are Liverpool Rummy and Gin Rummy different?

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  1. While the games have some similar rules about making combos, playing Gin Rummy is better for head-to-head games. You also only play with 1 deck of cards and race to earn 100 points instead of trying to score the fewest points.

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      • Some people may play with different house rules, so make sure everyone is on the same page and follows the same rules.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.coololdgames.com/card-games/rummy/liverpool/
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/Xs8sqIbVAlE?t=241
      3. ↑ https://www.pagat.com/rummy/ctrummy.html
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/wPHP5epzHXU?t=89
      5. ↑ https://www.pagat.com/rummy/ctrummy.html
      6. ↑ https://www.coololdgames.com/card-games/rummy/liverpool/
      7. ↑ https://www.pagat.com/rummy/ctrummy.html
      8. ↑ https://www.coololdgames.com/card-games/rummy/liverpool/
      9. ↑ https://youtu.be/wPHP5epzHXU?t=268
      1. ↑ https://www.coololdgames.com/card-games/rummy/liverpool/

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