“RUN” = 4 cards of the same suit (or more, as required), that are sequential in value (ie 9-10-J-Q of spades, or A-2-3-4 of diamonds).

“SET” = 3 or more cards of the same value (ie 7s, Kings, etc.).

Much like various versions of gin or rummy, the goal is to collect “sets” or “runs” of cards, and lay them down–a process that is referred to as “melding”. At the end of the round, points are determined by the values of the cards still in your hand (the cards on the table do not count for scoring purposes).

The goal is to earn as few points as you can by emptying your hand of cards.

The game consists of 10 full rounds, for each of which the cards will be combined, shuffled, and dealt afresh according to set-up rules.

3 decks of cards + 2 Jokers (5-8 players).

2 decks of cards + 1 Joker (3-4 players).

The cards in your hand are your enemy, and threaten to saddle you with points that keep adding up until your shameful, shameful defeat. This is a card game that take a couple hours to play, and involves collecting cards in your hand until you have the right combo to dump them onto the table in front of you.

Are Jokers wild? Or should deuces be wild? Are there penalties for accidentally discarding a valid card? Make up your mind, Al Gore! Well, this is the awesomest, most consensusy set of rules that matches my memory. There are eighteen billion (no exaggeration) variations on how to deal, how to score, and even the round requirements. In advance, I beg your forgiveness for not playing the way you and Granny or cousin BuberToober used to play. And worst of all, the interweb tubes cannot agree on any part of the rules. So I pulled out a couple decks of cards not long ago to pass a quiet night, and realized I couldn’t remember a single damn rule.

It was competitive and exciting…and it helped pass long blocks of time without counting the cricket chirps.ĭecades have passed and that friend and I had a very ugly falling out long ago, but I still remember loving that card game.

During those days when it poured rain, and late at night when the crickets sung to the stars, we had little to do but play card games, and my friend’s family had a clear favorite: Shanghai Rummy. I was only thirteen, but even way back in those ancient times, this was a vacation free of television, phones, and air conditioning. Many years ago I went on a camping trip with a friend’s family to a remote cabin in the Canadian wilderness where you could see the stars at night and smell the fish during the day. A card game for 3-8 players that is good for a quiet evening at home, or some time ’round the campfire.

Shanghai card game rules 7 rounds