Shanghai Rummy Rules. Shanghai Rummy is a variation of Contract Rummy. The principal differences between Shanghai Rummy and Contract Rummy are: There are ten rounds. Eleven cards are dealt to each player in every deal. The game uses the term 'buying' for when an out-of-turn player takes an upcard. There is a limit to the number of buys allowed.

1. Free Tally Sheets For 500 Card Game
2. Shanghai Card Game Instructions
3. Printable Shanghai Card Game Sheet
4. Shanghai Card Game Score Sheet
5. Shanghai Card Game Score Sheet

OBJECTIVE OF SHANGHAI: Play all cards in hand by melding them.

• The game’s namesake, Shanghai, refers to a particular move in the game. A Shanghai occurs if a player can rearrange some or all of the melds on the table to allow them to play cards in their hand. This is a valid move, permitting all the melds are legal. The game ends when one player has played all the cards in their hand.
• Oh Shit is a classic trick winning card game. Played with a full deck of standard playing cards without any Jokers. It is a close cousin to the game Oh Hell and has varying rules depending on where it is played. These are the rules that playohshit.com uses. The aim of the game is to score more points than your opponent.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 3-5 players

NUMBER OF CARDS: Two 52 card decks

RANK OF CARDS: K (high), Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A

TYPE OF GAME: Manipulation Rummy

AUDIENCE: All Ages

INTRODUCTION TO SHANGHAI

Shanghai that will be discussed in this article is a variation of manipulation rummy. More commonly, there is a version of Shanghai that is a contract rummy game. These are not to be confused and are different games entirely. For more information about rummy card games, click here. The game is suited for anywhere between 3 and 5 players, although 4 is optimal. Players may add more decks if they wish to play with more than 5 people, however, this tends to make the game less interesting.

THE DEAL

The first dealer is chosen at random by which ever mechanism players prefer. After, the dealer deals each player a total of 10 cards, dealt in batches or 3, 3, 3, and then 1 card. The cards that remain are placed face-down in the center of the table, these cards will form the stockpile. In hands that follow, the deal passes to the left.

THE PLAY

Shanghai begins with the player to the left of the dealer and passes clockwise. On each turn, players play cards from their hand to the table. Players must meld their cards in the following ways:

• Set Meld. A set of 3 or 4 cards with the same rank but different suits.
• Run Meld. A set of at least 3 cards of the same suit AND in sequence.

Players can use some or all cards in hand to meld or add cards to pre-existing melds already on the table. This particular feature is what makes Shanghai a manipulation rummy game.

If you have the ability to meld more than 1 card you are required to. However, this is not to say you must meld EVERY card that can be melded, but at least more than one. After melding, the turn passes to the next player.

Players that are unable to meld any cards must draw 1 card from the top of the stockpile. If they can play that card, they must, if not they are to continue drawing until they draw a playable card. Once they meld a card their turn is over.

Free Tally Sheets For 500 Card Game

Once a player melds their last card the game ends.

Shanghai

The game’s namesake, Shanghai, refers to a particular move in the game. A Shanghai occurs if a player can rearrange some or all of the melds on the table to allow them to play cards in their hand. This is a valid move, permitting all the melds are legal.

THE SCORING

The game ends when one player has played all the cards in their hand. That player scores 0 points. Players that remain in the game score 1 point per card left in hand. The game has no official end, hands are continually played until someone reaches the target score and LOSES, or players call off the game.

Shanghai Card Game Instructions

REFERENCES:

https://www.pagat.com/rummy/carousel.html

Contributed by William A. Robfogel - April, 2000

This is based on the game Contract Rummy or Shanghai Rummy (see also Toonerville Rook - another Contract Rummy game played with Rook cards).

Best with 4 - 6 players

Use 2 decks of Rook cards. Some people use 3 decks (6 wild cards) with 6 or more players.

Wild cards - 4 are needed (Use the 2 Rook cards and 2 advertising cards if your set has some. If not, use 2 black 14s with the rook cards. If you use the black 14s, you must remove the other 14s from the deck). These wild cards can be used in the place of any card or color. Wild cards cannot be exchanged for the card they were substituted for during any hand.

Printable Shanghai Card Game Sheet

Purpose

To be the first to play all the cards from your hand (goes out) by playing your cards on your or other player's sets and/or runs, thereby getting the lowest score.

The Hands

There are 7 hands in the game:

A set is a minimum of 3 cards (can be more than 3 cards), all the same number and any color. Example: Green 5, red 5, yellow 5,

A run is a minimum of 4 cards (can be more than 4 cards) all of the same color and consecutive numbers. Example: Green 9,10,11,12.

To Begin Play

1. Deal 11 cards
2. Place remaining cards (draw pile) in the middle. Turn over the top card and place it (face up) at the side to start Discard pile. If a wild card is turned over as the discard, then it should be buried in the draw pile and the next card exposed as the first discard.
3. Player to the left of the dealer begins.
4. A player begins his turn by choosing a card from either pile.
5. He ends his turn by discarding a card onto the exposed pile.
6. You are not allowed to lay any cards down until you can lay the required sets and/or run down. At that time you can also play cards on the other players' sets and runs. Only the required sets and/or runs can be laid out for each player in each hand, i.e. A player can play only the 2 sets in the first hand/or 1 set and 1 run in the second hand. The 1 is the low card and the 14 (the 13, if you use the black 14s as wild cards) is the high card.
7. After you have laid your cards down, on that turn and subsequent turns, get rid of your remaining cards, by adding them to any sets or runs already laid down - your own or others. Example:. An extra 2 could be placed on someone else's set of 2's or a red 7 at the end of a run of red 3,4,5,6. You cannot add cards below the 1 or above the 14 in runs.
8. The hand ends when anyone has played of all his cards (goes out).

Buying Cards

• Prior to laying down the required sets and/or runs, you may 'buy' the top card on the discard pile, even if it is not your turn -- if
  1. The person whose turn it is does not want it. This person may take it as his regular draw.
  2. Any person whose turn comes before yours does not want to buy it. Example: If your turn is 4 people away, the person whose turn it is may take it as his regular draw and each of the other 3 people whose turn comes before you may buy it before you -- according to the order of their turn.
• To buy, you must also take another card from the draw pile also.
• You may have 3 buys during a hand - (maximum cards in the hand - 17)
• After you lay down your required sets and/or runs, you may not purchase cards even if you have not used all your buys.

Pick and a Buy

When it is your turn, you may declare that you are going to do a 'pick and a buy.' This means that you are taking your normal card from the discard pile and buying the card that is under it. This counts as one of your 3 buys. You must declare that you are doing a pick and a buy prior to making your draw.

Scoring

After a player has gone out, the score is added up. The lowest score wins the hand. The person with the lowest score from all the hands wins the game.

The person who has played all of his cards gets 0 points

Cards left in a player's hand after the end of play count against him.

Card values

Shanghai Card Game Score Sheet

• 1 - 9 = face value - Example a 6 = 6 points.
• 10 - 14 = 10 points - Example: an 11 = 10 points.
• Wild cards = 20 points each.

Examples: A person who has 2 - 6s, 9, 10, and an 11 remaining in their hand at the end of play has 41 points against him. A person with a wild card, 2 - 10s, and a 1 has 41 points against them.

You can download a printable Rook Shanghai score sheet (zipped Microsoft Excel file - 4kb).

Play with fewer than four people

Shanghai Card Game Score Sheet

• Use 2 wild cards instead of 4.
• Deal one more card than is required to lay your cards out to start the hand. The last 2 hand (2 runs, 1 set and 3 runs) would have only 11 cards dealt as per the regular rules. Example: to lay 2 runs requires 8 cards so you would deal 9.
• Otherwise, play as above.