---

Shanghai Rummy vs Contract Rummy: Which One To Play?

Rummy is a versatile game which has developed into different variants that are all equally engaging as they are challenging. However, Indian rummy is so common among people that sometimes it is easy to forget that there are other variants of the game as well. For this article, we’ll be focusing on two popular types of rummy – Shanghai Rummy and Contract Rummy.

Shanghai Rummy

Shanghai rummy reportedly draws its origins from China. It is also known as California rummy in some parts of the world. This one is often described as a combination of Gin and Contract rummy. One notable distinction between Shanghai and Contract rummy is the number of deals played in a game which are 10 and 7 respectively.

There are two decks of cards used in a game with 3-4 players with one joker but if there are 5-8 players then three decks with two jokers are used. Each player is dealt with 11 cards and the rest are back in the deck, face down.
The game starts with the player who can either draw a card from the top of the pile or discard a card and is seated on the left of the dealer. Players can also ‘buy’ a card, i.e. to claim a card out of their turn. The game is a refreshing break from the commonly played rummy variants.

Contract Rummy:

This rummy variant had evolved from Gin rummy and is played between three to eight players. The twist in Contract rummy comes from the 7 deals that are decided before the game. The game’s objective is to meld cards to form sets and sequences but each deal is different. This element infuses a bit more fun into the game.

While each player in Shanghai rummy starts with 11 cards in all 10 deals, in Contract rummy the first four deals start with 10 cards and the last three start with 12 cards. In this game, high cards like the king, queen and jack hold 10 points each, aces and jokers hold 15 points. The number cards have points matching their rank. Deals in Contract rummy is what makes this game an intriguing one.

If you love playing rummy with your friends and family, give these two variants a try. For more content on rummy and other card games, keep reading GutshotMagazine.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram for more updates.

---

---

More News

---

Comments