Kalooki Introduction
Kalooki Rummy is a very popular cards game among all ages. It is one of the rummy type games that combines skills and luck together.
When you ask people where Kalooki began, they rarely know, but they do know that it is an extremely popular and fun game that is played all over the world. Some roots say Kalooki started in Jamaica, and it is often touted as a Jamaican rummy game, but it is hardly only played there. Wherever you play it, there are some basic rules and some not so basic rules depending on who you are playing it with and where you are playing it. The one thing about Kalooki that is definite is that there are many variations. There are even many different spelling variations. It is called Kalooki, Kalookie, Kaloochi, Caloochi, Kaluki, Kalougi, Kalogghi and 51 Rummy, along with many more. Kalooki incorporates many wild cards which makes it a lot of fun for either two or four people to play.
There are 108 cards in a Kalooki deck, which is the combination of 2 decks of cards, and all of the jokers. Unlike Gin Rummy, Kalooki is always started by dealing each player 13 cards, no matter how many people are playing. The basic premise of the game is to get rid of all of your cards before your opponent does so that you win the game. You can lay them down by using either sets or runs. A set is a group of cards that contain 3 or 4 cards of the same value. For example, if you have three 10’s that is a set. A run is a group of cards that contain consecutive numbers of the same suit. For example, if you have the 5, 6, and 7 of hears, that is considered to be a run.
The values of the cards are pretty simple. All numbered cards are worth their own value, so a 6 would be worth 6 points, and a 10 worth 10 points. The Jack, Queen, and King are also worth 10 points as well. The Ace is worth 11 points, and the Joker is worth 25 points, making it the most valuable of the cards, because it is the card that can be used in place of any other card in the deck. After dealing out the cards, the remaining cards are placed face down on the table forming what is called the stock pile. They are always placed face down and one card is turned face up next to the discard pile.
A player then takes a turn by doing one of three things. They can draw one card, either from the top of the stock pile or from the top of the discard pile. They then take that card and can for a meld consisting of a run or a set. They can even add on to additional melds that they or their opponent’s have previously put down if they so choose which is called “building”. Then at the conclusion of their hand, they discard one card on top of the discard pile. You must draw a card, and discard a card at every hand, but you have the option of melding at any time. You can play strategy to save all of your melds for one lay down, or you can accumulate them over time. The sooner you go out, the more points you can make.
Kalooki is very popular in many countries around the world, espcially in europe and north america and being played in clubs and private friends/family games.