Shanghai Card Game

This game is played in various forms, and called many things: Shanghai Rummy, California Rummy, etc. This is our version of the game, as my parents played it when I was a child.

Overview of Play

Use multiple decks of standard playing cards, including Jokers. Each player is dealt 11 cards per round for each of the 11 rounds below. A draw pile is placed in the center of all players, and one card is overturned to create a discard pile. Players draw and discard per turn to form sets and runs, the rules for each round are unique. During each round, deuces and Jokers are wild. The player to the left of the dealer starts each round, and the deal moves left as rounds progress. During a turn, the player can take the last discarded card, or the top card from the draw pile. The player must then discard one card. Once a player lays down the desired hand during a round, they can play on other players downed hands on their next turn. A hand is won once a player discards all their cards. At the end of each round, you total up points left in your hand. The player with the lowest score after 11 rounds wins.

Buying

When a player discards during their turn, the other players have a chance to "buy" the discard by taking it and the top card on the draw pile. Players closest to the dealer from the left have priority and can block other players from buying a card.

Points:

• Cards 3-7: 5 points
• Cards 8-K: 10 points
• Aces: 15 points
• Deuces: 20 points
• Jokers: 50 points

Rounds:

• 2 aces and a three of a kind
• 1 run of four
• 1 three of a kind and 1 run of four
• 2 threes of a kind
• 2 runs of four
• 2 threes of a kind and 1 run of four
• 2 runs of four and 1 three of a kind
• 3 threes of a kind
• 3 runs of four
• 1 run of five and 1 run of six
• 1 run of seven and 1 three of a kind