What is Contract Rummy?

Contract Rummy adds a changing set of goals to the classic formula. Each deal demands a different, escalating combination of melds, so no two rounds feel the same.

Quick answer: Contract Rummy is a Rummy variant played over a fixed series of deals, each with its own contract: a specific combination of sets and runs you must lay down all at once before you can come down. It uses two decks plus jokers and suits 3 to 8 players. Each deal's contract grows harder, ending with runs-only rounds.

The contracts

Contract Rummy is played over about seven deals, and each has a required contract - for example, two sets in one deal, a set and a run in the next, and runs only in the final rounds. You must meet the full contract in one go before laying anything down.

Setup and jokers

The game uses two decks plus jokers and works for 3 to 8 players, with more decks added for larger groups. Once you have laid down your contract, you can lay off onto other melds to empty your hand.

Related games

The escalating-contract idea connects Contract Rummy to Kalooki, with its opening-meld threshold, and to Dummy Rummy, which also varies its requirements by round. If you enjoy structured, multi-deal Rummy, these three go together. See the wider Rummy family.

Play Contract Rummy

Related questions

What is Kalooki?

Kalooki, also spelled Kaluki or Kaloochi, is a Rummy variant played with two decks plus jokers. Popular versions include Jamaican Kalooki 40 and Kalooki 51, named for the minimum point value your first meld must reach. Jokers are wild and plentiful, and the game blends set-and-run building with a contract-style opening requirement.

What is Dummy Rummy?

Dummy Rummy is a Rummy variant played with two decks plus four jokers, in which all the twos and the jokers are wild. It is played over a series of hands, each with its own required combination of sets and runs to lay down. The many wild cards make for big, satisfying melds and high scores.

How many types of Rummy are there?

There are dozens of documented Rummy variants worldwide, but they sort into a few families: draw-and-discard melding games like Gin Rummy, points-race games like Rummy 500, joker-rich 13-card games like Indian Rummy, and contract or partnership games like Contract Rummy and Canasta. We offer ten of the most popular, plus Gin Rummy.