Kalooki

Rules of Kalooki

Kalooki is one of the more popular variants of Rummy and is played, most usually, with four players and 2 full decks of cards. It's a skill based card game that can now be played online.

Building Melds

The aim of Kalooki, or Kaluki, is to get all the cards out of your hand before anyone else does; if you are left with cards in your hand these cards will count as points against you: the lower your points, the better. The way you get rid of cards is by creating melds. Melds are groups of cards numbering 3 or more that go together; either of the same value, or a run of the same suit. In Kalooki rummy melds may be laid down in the middle of the game, and melds may be added to in the course of the game; a meld may be added to irrelevant of who first laid it down. In Kalooki Rummy Aces can be melded high or low, and only first melds valuing 51 or more may be laid down, although this can be the sum of two melds.

Scoring and Jokers

The scoring in Kalooki is similar to other types of rummy with number cards being worth their shown values, picture cards being 10, and aces being 11. Where Kalooki differs however, is that in Kalooki jokers are used. A joker acts as a wild and can be used as a substitute for any card in a meld, taking on the value of the card it’s standing in for. If however a joker is left in the hand as deadwood, it incurs a 25 point penalty for that player. Additionally, Jokers may be reused, meaning that a joker in a meld may be taken out and replaced by the appropriate card; paying attention to suit. When replacing a joker in a set, you must be able to provide all remaining cards of that set. That joker can then be reused by the player who picked it up to represent which ever card he wishes.

Play Kalooki

• Each player receives 13 cards.
• Remaining cards constitute the stockpile and are placed in a pile face down.
• The top one is turned over and laid down face-up; this is the beginning of the discard pile.
• The first player draws a card either from the discard pile or from the stockpile.
• If he can create a meld he does so at this point and lays it down.
• Whether he made a meld or not, he discards a card onto the discard pile.
• Play moves on clockwise to the next player, who follows the steps.
• The first one with no cards is the winner.
• The value of the cards that players still have are calculated and marked.

Kalooki is one of the most popular and fun rummy games to play. Rummy Royal offers Kalooki and has a wide range of players, of differing skill levels, playing most of the time. You'll often see Kalooki spelled Kaluki, Kaloochi, Kalougi, Caloochi, or Kalogghi but all of the games are the same.