1Object of the game
Be the first player to play every tile from your rack and call out "Rummikub!" The other players lose points for the tiles they still hold, and you collect the total. Over a full session, the player who wins the most games is the overall winner.
2Setup
- Place all 106 tiles face down on the table and mix them well. Give each player a rack.
- Each player picks one tile. Whoever draws the highest number goes first. Return those tiles to the table and mix again.
- Each player takes 14 tiles and stands them on their rack so nobody else can see the faces.
- The tiles left face down on the table are the pool. Play moves to the left, clockwise, starting with the first player.
- Agree on how many rounds to play. Under the official rules a round is as many games as there are players: two games with 2 players, three with 3, four with 4.
3The play
- Before your initial meld: lay down one or more sets from your rack that total at least 30 points, counting each tile at face value. You may not use tiles already on the table for this. If you can't reach 30, draw one tile from the pool and your turn ends.
- After your initial meld: play tiles from your rack by starting new sets or adding to sets already on the table, including other players' sets.
- You may also manipulate the table: split runs, move tiles from one set to another, or add a fourth tile to a group and take one out. Every set on the table must be a legal group or run when your turn ends, and you must play at least one tile from your rack.
- If you can't play any tiles, or choose not to, draw one tile from the pool. Drawing ends your turn, and you can't play the tile you just drew until your next turn.
- You have 1 minute per turn under the official rules. If you run out of time, draw a tile and your turn ends. If the table is left in a mess you can't fix, put back the tiles you moved, take back the tiles you played, and draw 3 tiles as a penalty.
4End of a hand
A game ends when one player plays their last tile and calls "Rummikub!" Everyone else adds up the tiles left on their rack and writes that total as a negative score. The winner scores the sum of those totals as a positive number. If the pool runs out and nobody has gone out, keep playing until no one can make a legal move. Then the player with the lowest rack total wins that game.
5Scoring
Score after each game. Losers count their remaining tiles and score that total as a minus. The winner scores a plus equal to everything the losers lost, so each game's scores add to zero.
| For | Points |
|---|---|
| Numbered tile (1–13) | Face value |
| Joker left on your rack | 30 penalty points |
| Joker used in your initial meld | Value of the tile it stands for |
| Player who goes out | Plus the total of all other players' penalties |
| Initial meld minimum | 30 points, from your own rack only |
If the game ends because the pool is empty and no one can play, the player with the lowest rack total wins. Each other player loses the difference between their total and the winner's, and the winner collects the sum of those differences. For example, if the winner holds 5 and another player holds 18, that player scores minus 13.
6Winning
At the end of the last round, the player who won the most games wins the session. If players are tied on games won, the one with the highest total score wins. You can also agree to skip rounds and play to a point total or a set number of games.
7A worked hand
You open with red 8, blue 8, and black 8 (24 points) plus orange 1-2-3 (6 points). That's exactly 30, all from your rack, so it counts as your initial meld. Two turns later the table shows a blue run 3-4-5-6-7 and a group of four 11s in black, red, orange, and blue. Your rack holds red 7, orange 7, blue 12, and blue 13, and none of them fit an existing set as-is. Take the blue 7 off the end of the run, which leaves blue 3-4-5-6, still a legal run. Put it with your red 7 and orange 7 to make a new group of 7s in three colors. Next, pull the blue 11 out of the group of 11s. Black, red, and orange 11 is still a legal group of three. Add your blue 12 and blue 13 to the blue 11 for a new run, 11-12-13. You played four tiles, and every set left on the table is legal. Later, an opponent goes out while you hold a joker and a black 4, so you score minus 34.
8House rules
The rules above are the version most US players use. These are the variations you are most likely to run into; settle them before the first deal.
- Higher initial meld
- Some players require the first meld to total 50 points instead of 30, a variation listed on pagat.com. It makes the opening turns slower.
- 25-point joker
- Some groups count a joker left on the rack as 25 points rather than the official 30.
- Joker sets are locked
- Under the version on pagat.com, you can add tiles to a set that contains a joker but can't take anything out or rearrange it. You free the joker only by swapping in the exact tile it represents.
- No timer
- If the 1-minute limit feels rushed, agree to drop it, or bring it out only when one player takes much longer than everyone else.
- Play to a score
- Instead of counting games won, keep a running total and stop when someone reaches an agreed score or after an agreed number of games.
9Mistakes people make
- Your initial meld must come only from your own rack. You can't use tiles already on the table to reach 30.
- A tile you just drew can't be played until your next turn, and drawing ends your turn.
- The number 1 is always low. A run can't wrap around from 13 to 1.
- A group can't repeat a color. Two red 9s and a blue 9 is not a legal group, and a group tops out at four tiles.
10Playing better
- Don't rush to lay down tiles you could hold for a bigger manipulation later, but don't sit on a huge rack either. Every tile left at the end costs you its face value.
- Play your joker when it lets you go out or unlocks a big play. A joker stuck on your rack costs 30, the biggest penalty in the game.
- Watch which tiles opponents draw instead of play. A player who keeps drawing is usually waiting on one or two specific tiles.
- Look for groups of four on the table. They're the easiest place to borrow a tile, because removing one still leaves a legal group of three.
- Get rid of high numbers early when you can. A stranded 12 or 13 hurts far more than a 2.
Rummikub: questions people ask
- How many tiles do you start with in Rummikub?
- Each player starts with 14 tiles. The rest of the 106 tiles stay face down on the table as the pool. You draw one tile from the pool on any turn when you can't or don't want to play from your rack.
- What is the initial meld in Rummikub?
- The initial meld is your first play, and it must total at least 30 points using only tiles from your own rack. Each tile counts at face value, and a joker counts as the tile it replaces. You can make 30 with one set or several. Until you've made it, you can't touch tiles on the table.
- How do jokers work in Rummikub?
- A joker can stand in for any number and color in a set. After you've made your initial meld, you can take a joker from the table by replacing it with a tile that keeps the set legal. You must then use that joker in a new set on the same turn, along with at least one tile from your rack.
- How much is a joker worth at the end of Rummikub?
- A joker left on your rack when someone goes out costs you 30 points. Some groups lower that to 25 as a house rule. A joker you used in your initial meld counts as the tile it represents, not as 30.
- Can 1 follow 13 in Rummikub?
- No. The official rules say 1 is always the lowest number and can't follow 13. So 12-13-1 is not a legal run, but 1-2-3 and 11-12-13 both are.
- What happens when the Rummikub pool runs out?
- Play continues until nobody can make another move. The player with the lowest total of tiles left on their rack wins that game. Each other player loses the difference between their total and the winner's.
- Can you play a tile you just drew in Rummikub?
- No. Drawing a tile ends your turn, and the rules say you must wait until your next turn to play it. That's why it can pay to draw early in the game rather than play a weak set.
- How do you win Rummikub?
- You win a game by playing every tile from your rack and calling "Rummikub!" Under the official rules, the player who wins the most games across all rounds wins overall, and total score breaks a tie. You can also just keep a running score.
RUMMIKUB is a registered trademark of Orly Fidelman. The game is manufactured by Lemada Light Industries Ltd. This page describes the rules for players and has no connection with the trademark owner.
Sources
Checked by Morgan Hale against the sources below. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.
- Rummikub Rules (English), Rummikub (Lemada Light Industries). Read September 29, 2026.
- Rummikub, pagat.com. Read September 29, 2026.
- Rummikub, Wikipedia. Read September 29, 2026.
Also on the table: Rummy, Phase 10, Mexican Train, Gin Rummy.