While spending lots of leisure time in Fiji during the 2010-11 pre-cyclone season, two cruising couples, us being one of them developed a spin on Baja Rummy. We call this version Fiji Rummy. It's more strategic and cut throat, but still fun. We've introduced several people to the game and have now posted the rules we concocted. If something isn't spelled out, make up your own rules and change the game. Just make sure everyone agrees before hand so there aren't really any coups! Enjoy.
If you know how to play Baja Rummy, you will appreciate the strategic complexity of Fiji Rummy. Fiji Rummy is a variation of Baja with a little less civility and more strategy with cannibal and coups. Fiji Rummy has no reflection on the people in Fiji today as they are some of the happiest, most friendly people in the Pacific, even though cannibals and coups are a part of their history.
If you don't know how to play Baja Rummy, no worries. We've done our best to spell it out below. Contact us if you have questions by filling in comment form below. Cheers.
Goal of the Game is for first person/team to reach or go over 15,000 points.
The goal of each round is to accumulate points through mandatory “book building”, and completely play your hand and two feet until the last card can be played or discarded. Thwarting the enemy with cannibalism (joker cards), calling for cards out of turn, ability to pick up two cards from the discard pile, and building a book of 2’s when these are the only wild cards, makes this game more strategic, less civil and cutthroat.
This game is best played as individuals not as teams, as this makes it more difficult for each player to amass a coup. However, it can be played as teams if you choose. Players five and six becomes more complicated, but it is doable.
Team play: Team members must be separated by at least one person between them. If there are six players, teaming speeds up the game
GAME PLAY (2-6 players, 4 is best)
All the decks are shuffled together. (Shuffle well!) Each player deals three hands of 11 in front of him/her. When each person has dealt three hands, each keeps the middle one as his/her first hand and places a red card on top to designate it as a hand. The outside stacks get a blue card placed on top. Each player picks up the feet (outside hands) they have dealt, one in each of their hands and exchanges with the people sitting next to them. In the end, each player has 3 stacks to play (keeps the hand they dealt and exchanges feet with adjacent players). Play starts with the hand “red card stack”. The two feet are set to the right hand side of each player for future play.
The remainder of the cards are divided into two stacks and placed on the table. A single card is turned over and placed between the two stacks forming the discard pile.
Each player cuts a stack for a card. High card player starts the play rotating in an orderly fashion by drawing 2 cards and discarding one until he/she is able to meld. (A meld is a set of cards that must be laid down with a minimum requisite point value.) See initial meld chart below.
Drawing Cards Before a Player Melds:
Starting with the player who drew the high card and moving clockwise around the table, each player in turn draws 2 cards from either of the face down stacks:
and:
1 – add cards to his hand until he/she can meld
2 – place a single card on the discard pile ending his/her turn.
Each player must draw two cards BEFORE laying cards down or discarding WITH THE EXCEPTION of a surprise initial meld. A player may surprise the other players and lay down his/her meld at the beginning of his turn and then drawing from the discard pile.
This usually occurs if the player wants to draw from the discard pile, but can only do so after the meld. Cards drawn from the discard pile must be played immediately and may not be used as counted points for the initial meld. (For instance: A player may have a single 4 in his/her hand and notices that there have been two consecutive single 4’s laid down. After laying down a surprise meld totaling the correct value required, the player may take the two 4’s and combine them with the one in his/her hand for another meld, or if a player melded three 4’s previously, he/she could add the 2 4’s from the discard pile to his/her meld.) This is the only time a player may play first then draw.
Laying Down Cards and Discarding Cards
• Once a card has been laid down and the player has removed it from his fingers, it is played and may not be pulled up and replaced. The only exception is if it is an initial meld and it turns out there are not enough requisite cards to meld, then all the meld cards must be picked up and returned to the player’s hand.
• Cards laid down for display are usually laid down in vertical columns (with a slight overlap so that the card value and suit can be identified) in front of the player. When playing as a team the vertical column may be oriented towards the partner playing across the table.
• Team play: When the team partner who is not maintaining the book display wants to play his/her cards and it is too far to reach and personally lay down the cards, he/she hands the cards to the display partner and must clearly articulate where the cards are to be laid down. (i.e. If the player articulates that a card should be added to a book of like cards instead of a straight which might be the better move, the display partner may not say anything and must put the card where instructed. It is not up to the display partner to determine where his/her partner’s cards should be displayed.)
• When a player discards a card, his/her play is over and no further cards may be laid down on the play table until his/her next turn.
• Red threes, black threes, and used cannibal cards when discarded freeze the deck and no one can call or draw from the deck.
Drawing Cards After the Meld:
After a player melds, he/she now has more freedom to acquire cards.
• He /she may within the course of his/her turn draw two cards from either the face up (discards) or face down stacks or a combination from both. Cards drawn from the discard pile must always be played immediately and may not be held in a hand for future use.
• A player may at any time capture a card that has been discarded, by saying “call it” “mine” “capture”. If the person whose rightful turn it is cannot immediately use the discard, the player who called for the card captures it and the one underneath the first card if he/she chooses.
• The rightful player must relinquish his/her turn.
• The caller must be able to use the card(s) immediately.
• If it turns out that the caller cannot immediately use the card he/she captured because of the Rule of Six (see below) or some other mental lapse:
o There is a penalty for capture from the rightful turn player when the capture card cannot be immediately played. The rightful turn player gets to remove any card from the player who called for the false capture and add it to his/her hand without having to immediately play it. If no other players have called for the card, the rightful turn player then gets to play as he or she would normally by drawing his/her 2 card draw.
• If two players “call” for a card simultaneously (it cannot be determined who was first to call, and the rightful turn player cannot use the discard), the person to the left of the rightful player gets the call.
• If the first capture call is false, the second person who called for the card gets a chance to use the card. If he/she can use the card, he/she continues to play a turn and play resumes clockwise.
• If the second capture call is also false, the rightful turn player may collect a penalty from the second player and the rightful player maintains his/her turn. Note that calling cards effectively can reduce the plays of certain opponents by skipping over them.
TEAMS: Yes it okay for a team member to call for a card their partner has thrown down.
GETTING INTO YOUR FOOT:
• A player must play all the cards in his/her Hand before picking up and playing the First Foot and then must play all the cards in the First Foot before picking up and playing the cards in the Second Foot.
• If the player places the last card from his/her Hand in play on one of his/her melds/books then a Foot may be picked up, and the player’s turn continues until he/she makes a discard.
• If the final card from the Hand is discarded, the player’s turn ends (but he or she may then pick up his/her foot and look through them while the next player’s turn begins. This rule also applies to when a player moves from First Foot to Second Foot.
COMPLETING A BOOK:
Rule of Six:
As a player gets close to completing a book
• The sixth card is turned sideways, horizontal on the bottom across the column.
• This rule of six designates that the seventh card (needed to complete the book) may not be drawn or called for from the discard pile. It must be drawn from one of the face down stacks, or it may be cannibalized from another player’s stack if a cannibal card can be played to secure it.
• If a player has six cards and one or more of them are cannibal cards, the player may still draw from the discards or call for a playable card to replace the cannibal card.
• If a player calls for a card and realizes he/she could not do so because it would be the seventh and last card to complete a book, he or she is then subject to the penalty for a false call described below.
When a book is completed:
• The cards are gathered up and held for scoring. The book is officially closed keeping it safe from cannibalism. Red books have a red card on top, Black books have a blue card on top, a Coup is face up with a 2. A straight is face up with the high card on top.
• Individual players maintain his/her completed books in clear view of all players, usually to the left of their display cards. Any unplayed feet are to their right. In this manner players can clearly see the status of each player. Assets on the left, liabilities on the right.
• Team players maintain their completed books in clear view of all players as well. Usually the player who is not displaying the face up cards takes responsibility for laying out the completed books directly in front of him/her.
PLAYING CANNIBAL CARDS (Jokers):
Unlike other forms of Baja Rummy, Jokers are not wild in the usual way. They are a cannibal card.
• The Joker/Cannibal Card may be used to cannibalize your opponent’s cards or one of your own incomplete books if you so choose.
• The player who has been cannibalized may not complete the book he/she is building until he/she:
• In building books of 7 of a kind, any card of the same denomination regardless of suit is allowable to remove the cannibal.
• In a book of a straight, the exact card taken with the cannibal card must be replaced.
• Cannibal cards maybe used to pick off 2’s to use for a coup or as a wild card to complete a black (impure) book.
• Cannibal cards in incomplete books, in player’s hand and un-played feet, and in a banked cannibal discard pile are counted against players if the game is ended.
• Players unfortunate enough to have had their books cannibalized, may get rid of the cannibal cards by replacing them with same denomination or using a wild card in a book of kind. Wild cards cannot be used in straights, only an exact card/suit can replace a cannibal card in a straight.
• Once a cannibal card has been removed, the player must use this as his/her discard and it freezes the pile as a red or black three would do.
• If a player clears more than one cannibal card in a play, he/she may bank the extra cannibal cards as discards only and leaves them on the table face up until he/she discards them. If the games ends before these cards are discarded and are still on the table face up, they are counted against the player.
ENDING THE ROUND
To end the game a player must have completed the required books and must dispose of all cards in his/her hand. Remember that each play starts with a two draws.
• If a player can play all the cards and does so, he/she is OUT and no discard is required.
• If a player can play all but one card and discards the remaining one, he/she is OUT.
Teams: Partners are not allowed to strategize with one another during the course of the game. The only legitimate question a player may ask his partner is: “May I go out?” and receive a “yes” or a “no”.
CARDS VALUES AND SCORING:
Number of Decks: For up to 4 players, two decks of standard playing cards with jokers (per person) are used plus one for the pot (so for 4 people you need 9 decks).
Cards should all be the same size and have the same design on the backside, however half of the cards should be red and the other blue. The one-for-the pot makes an uneven number may be either red or blue/black. Ultimately players can determine how many decks to add after the first four players. The fewer the decks, the harder it is to amass a coup.
CARDS POINT VALUE OF INDIVIDUAL CARDS
4, 5, 6, 7 (5 points)
8, 9, 10, J, Q, K (10 points)
Ace (20 points)
2’s (50 point Wild/Coup Cards)
3’s Black (-300 point Discards. Held against you if a player goes out and you are caught with these cards in your hand and unplayed feet.)
3’s Red (-500 point Discards. Held against you if a player goes out and you are caught with these cards in your hand and unplayed feet.)
Jokers -500 (Cannibal Cards then discards) Held against you if a player goes out and your are caught with these cards in your hand, in your incomplete books, in your banked face up discard pile, or in unplayed feet.
THE INITIAL MELD
At the beginning of each round, before an individual or team is allowed to build books, collect from the discard pile, or capture cards, they must each individually “meld” a requisite number of points by laying a specific point value face up on the table in front of him/her.
Point value for a meld is determined by the cumulative score of previous rounds. A meld must meet the following minimum point (based on the card value table) value of one or more Valid Card Combinations.
Current Score Points Requisite Meld Points
0-2500 60
2501-5000 90
5001-7500 120
7501-10000 150
10001-12500 180
12501-14999 200
VALID MELD COMBINATIONS
Minimum of 3 cards with at least 2 non-wild cards either of similar indications (all 4, king, 6, Aces, etc) or as a straight of the same suit (5,6,7,etc)
- No Wild Cards can be used in a straight
- You cannot play jokers/cannibal cards until you have melded and there are cards laid out by opponents that can be cannibalized.
If playing in teams, each player is required to individually meld. Individual melds may not be combined together to make a book. (i.e. if the first of a partner pair melds 3 aces (60 points), the second partner may want to choose something other than aces to meld with. Otherwise, the team will be working to simultaneously complete two books of aces.) After each partner has melded, All books being built are displayed face up in front of the partner who melded first and both may play on any of their initial melds or begin new books with at least three cards of a valid combination.
REQUIRED BOOKS BEFORE GOING OUT:
INDIVIDUALS:
2 Red books (seven a kind, no wild cards)
2 Black books (seven of kind, no more than 2 wild cards)
1 Straight (seven cards of same suit in a numerical run, i.e. A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 or K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 or Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 or J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4. Threes may not be used in a straight. They are for discard only.
TEAMS (same as individuals but with one additional straight):
2 Straights (seven cards of same suit in a numerical run, i.e. A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 or K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 or Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 or J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4.
2 Books of 2 for a 10,000 pt. Coup
THE COUP - NOT REQUIRED – BUT A Real Point COUP IF YOU CAN PULL IT OFF!
A book of seven 2’s is a 10,000 point coup for individual players. The game does not end, but continues as usual. Therefore, it important that anyone who lays down a coup is prepared to defend this position aggressively against cannibalism.
If playing as teams/partners, a book of 2’s is only worth 5,000 points. To get 10,000 points a team would need two books of 2’s.
SCORING
First) Players determine their scores after the first person/team goes out. The first thing players do is assess their liabilities. The liabilities are the point values of cards remaining in their current hand, any unplayed feet, any jokers remaining face up in their books or banked discard pile. These are minus points to be subtracted from the players score. These cards set to the side or returned to the deck after their liabilities have been duly noted.
Second) Players count up their assets (completed books)
Assets – Books of 7 Score Points
First to go OUT 200
Impure (black books) no more than 2 wild cards. 300
Pure (red books) no wild cards 500
Straights 1500
Coup – 2’s 10000/Individuals 5000/team
Third) Players combine all the cards from their assets and those cards remaining on the table and count up the point values of the cards.
After subtracting the liabilities from each players points, a final score for the round is determined and becomes the basis for the meld in the next round or a win if the player goes over 15,000 points.
CARD POINT VALUES:
4, 5, 6, 7 5
8, 9, 10, J, Q, K 10
Ace 20
2’s 50 (Wild/Coup Cards
3’s (Black) -300 (Discards. Held against you if a player goes out and you are caught with these cards in your hand and unplayed feet .)
3’s (Red) -500 (Discards. Held against you if a player goes out and you are caught with these cards in your hand and unplayed feet.)
Jokers -500 (Cannibal Cards then discards) Held against you if a player goes out and your are caught with these cards in your hand, in your incomplete books, in your banked face up discard pile, or in unplayed feet.
Requisite MELDS
Current Score Points Requisite Meld Points
0-2500 60
2501-5000 90
5001-7500 120
7501-10000 150
10001-12500 180
12501-14999 200
REQUIRED BOOKS BEFORE GOING OUT:
INDIVIDUALS:
2 Red books (seven a kind, no wild cards)
2 Black books (seven of kind, no more than 2 wild cards)
1 Straight (seven cards of same suit in a numerical run, i.e. A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 or K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 or Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 or J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4. Threes may not be used in a straight. They are for discard only.
TEAMS (same as individuals but with one additional straight):
2 Straights (seven cards of same suit in a numerical run, i.e. A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 or K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 or Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 or J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4.
2 Books of 2 for a 10,000 pt. Coup
SCORING
Assets – Books of 7 Score Points
First to go OUT 200
Impure (black books) no more than 2 wild cards. 300
Pure (red books) no wild cards 500
Straights 1500
Coup – 2’s 10000/Individuals 5000/team
Drop us a comment and let us know what you think! Cheers!
FIJI RUMMY
Cannibals and Coups
Developed by Cruising Couples
Roz and Russ Worrall on S/V Worrall Wind
Lori and Ken Newell on S/V Trim
2010-11 In Fiji
If you know how to play Baja Rummy, you will appreciate the strategic complexity of Fiji Rummy. Fiji Rummy is a variation of Baja with a little less civility and more strategy with cannibal and coups. Fiji Rummy has no reflection on the people in Fiji today as they are some of the happiest, most friendly people in the Pacific, even though cannibals and coups are a part of their history.
If you don't know how to play Baja Rummy, no worries. We've done our best to spell it out below. Contact us if you have questions by filling in comment form below. Cheers.
Goal of the Game is for first person/team to reach or go over 15,000 points.
The goal of each round is to accumulate points through mandatory “book building”, and completely play your hand and two feet until the last card can be played or discarded. Thwarting the enemy with cannibalism (joker cards), calling for cards out of turn, ability to pick up two cards from the discard pile, and building a book of 2’s when these are the only wild cards, makes this game more strategic, less civil and cutthroat.
This game is best played as individuals not as teams, as this makes it more difficult for each player to amass a coup. However, it can be played as teams if you choose. Players five and six becomes more complicated, but it is doable.
Team play: Team members must be separated by at least one person between them. If there are six players, teaming speeds up the game
GAME PLAY (2-6 players, 4 is best)
All the decks are shuffled together. (Shuffle well!) Each player deals three hands of 11 in front of him/her. When each person has dealt three hands, each keeps the middle one as his/her first hand and places a red card on top to designate it as a hand. The outside stacks get a blue card placed on top. Each player picks up the feet (outside hands) they have dealt, one in each of their hands and exchanges with the people sitting next to them. In the end, each player has 3 stacks to play (keeps the hand they dealt and exchanges feet with adjacent players). Play starts with the hand “red card stack”. The two feet are set to the right hand side of each player for future play.
The remainder of the cards are divided into two stacks and placed on the table. A single card is turned over and placed between the two stacks forming the discard pile.
Each player cuts a stack for a card. High card player starts the play rotating in an orderly fashion by drawing 2 cards and discarding one until he/she is able to meld. (A meld is a set of cards that must be laid down with a minimum requisite point value.) See initial meld chart below.
Drawing Cards Before a Player Melds:
Starting with the player who drew the high card and moving clockwise around the table, each player in turn draws 2 cards from either of the face down stacks:
and:
1 – add cards to his hand until he/she can meld
2 – place a single card on the discard pile ending his/her turn.
Each player must draw two cards BEFORE laying cards down or discarding WITH THE EXCEPTION of a surprise initial meld. A player may surprise the other players and lay down his/her meld at the beginning of his turn and then drawing from the discard pile.
This usually occurs if the player wants to draw from the discard pile, but can only do so after the meld. Cards drawn from the discard pile must be played immediately and may not be used as counted points for the initial meld. (For instance: A player may have a single 4 in his/her hand and notices that there have been two consecutive single 4’s laid down. After laying down a surprise meld totaling the correct value required, the player may take the two 4’s and combine them with the one in his/her hand for another meld, or if a player melded three 4’s previously, he/she could add the 2 4’s from the discard pile to his/her meld.) This is the only time a player may play first then draw.
Laying Down Cards and Discarding Cards
• Once a card has been laid down and the player has removed it from his fingers, it is played and may not be pulled up and replaced. The only exception is if it is an initial meld and it turns out there are not enough requisite cards to meld, then all the meld cards must be picked up and returned to the player’s hand.
• Cards laid down for display are usually laid down in vertical columns (with a slight overlap so that the card value and suit can be identified) in front of the player. When playing as a team the vertical column may be oriented towards the partner playing across the table.
• Team play: When the team partner who is not maintaining the book display wants to play his/her cards and it is too far to reach and personally lay down the cards, he/she hands the cards to the display partner and must clearly articulate where the cards are to be laid down. (i.e. If the player articulates that a card should be added to a book of like cards instead of a straight which might be the better move, the display partner may not say anything and must put the card where instructed. It is not up to the display partner to determine where his/her partner’s cards should be displayed.)
• When a player discards a card, his/her play is over and no further cards may be laid down on the play table until his/her next turn.
• Red threes, black threes, and used cannibal cards when discarded freeze the deck and no one can call or draw from the deck.
Drawing Cards After the Meld:
After a player melds, he/she now has more freedom to acquire cards.
• He /she may within the course of his/her turn draw two cards from either the face up (discards) or face down stacks or a combination from both. Cards drawn from the discard pile must always be played immediately and may not be held in a hand for future use.
• A player may at any time capture a card that has been discarded, by saying “call it” “mine” “capture”. If the person whose rightful turn it is cannot immediately use the discard, the player who called for the card captures it and the one underneath the first card if he/she chooses.
• The rightful player must relinquish his/her turn.
• The caller must be able to use the card(s) immediately.
• If it turns out that the caller cannot immediately use the card he/she captured because of the Rule of Six (see below) or some other mental lapse:
o There is a penalty for capture from the rightful turn player when the capture card cannot be immediately played. The rightful turn player gets to remove any card from the player who called for the false capture and add it to his/her hand without having to immediately play it. If no other players have called for the card, the rightful turn player then gets to play as he or she would normally by drawing his/her 2 card draw.
• If two players “call” for a card simultaneously (it cannot be determined who was first to call, and the rightful turn player cannot use the discard), the person to the left of the rightful player gets the call.
• If the first capture call is false, the second person who called for the card gets a chance to use the card. If he/she can use the card, he/she continues to play a turn and play resumes clockwise.
• If the second capture call is also false, the rightful turn player may collect a penalty from the second player and the rightful player maintains his/her turn. Note that calling cards effectively can reduce the plays of certain opponents by skipping over them.
TEAMS: Yes it okay for a team member to call for a card their partner has thrown down.
GETTING INTO YOUR FOOT:
• A player must play all the cards in his/her Hand before picking up and playing the First Foot and then must play all the cards in the First Foot before picking up and playing the cards in the Second Foot.
• If the player places the last card from his/her Hand in play on one of his/her melds/books then a Foot may be picked up, and the player’s turn continues until he/she makes a discard.
• If the final card from the Hand is discarded, the player’s turn ends (but he or she may then pick up his/her foot and look through them while the next player’s turn begins. This rule also applies to when a player moves from First Foot to Second Foot.
COMPLETING A BOOK:
Rule of Six:
As a player gets close to completing a book
• The sixth card is turned sideways, horizontal on the bottom across the column.
• This rule of six designates that the seventh card (needed to complete the book) may not be drawn or called for from the discard pile. It must be drawn from one of the face down stacks, or it may be cannibalized from another player’s stack if a cannibal card can be played to secure it.
• If a player has six cards and one or more of them are cannibal cards, the player may still draw from the discards or call for a playable card to replace the cannibal card.
• If a player calls for a card and realizes he/she could not do so because it would be the seventh and last card to complete a book, he or she is then subject to the penalty for a false call described below.
When a book is completed:
• The cards are gathered up and held for scoring. The book is officially closed keeping it safe from cannibalism. Red books have a red card on top, Black books have a blue card on top, a Coup is face up with a 2. A straight is face up with the high card on top.
• Individual players maintain his/her completed books in clear view of all players, usually to the left of their display cards. Any unplayed feet are to their right. In this manner players can clearly see the status of each player. Assets on the left, liabilities on the right.
• Team players maintain their completed books in clear view of all players as well. Usually the player who is not displaying the face up cards takes responsibility for laying out the completed books directly in front of him/her.
PLAYING CANNIBAL CARDS (Jokers):
Unlike other forms of Baja Rummy, Jokers are not wild in the usual way. They are a cannibal card.
• The Joker/Cannibal Card may be used to cannibalize your opponent’s cards or one of your own incomplete books if you so choose.
- You may choose to cannibalize your own incomplete book for a card that would complete a straight and take a -500 point gamble to complete a 1500 point straight.
- A player with a cannibal card may lay down his joker on any opponent’s incomplete book to take a card away and play immediately on his own book.
• The player who has been cannibalized may not complete the book he/she is building until he/she:
- Draws, captures, or cannibalizes with own joker a replacement card for the cannibalized book. The cannibal card (joker) is then removed from the book and discarded and the discard pile is frozen.
• In building books of 7 of a kind, any card of the same denomination regardless of suit is allowable to remove the cannibal.
• In a book of a straight, the exact card taken with the cannibal card must be replaced.
• Cannibal cards maybe used to pick off 2’s to use for a coup or as a wild card to complete a black (impure) book.
• Cannibal cards in incomplete books, in player’s hand and un-played feet, and in a banked cannibal discard pile are counted against players if the game is ended.
• Players unfortunate enough to have had their books cannibalized, may get rid of the cannibal cards by replacing them with same denomination or using a wild card in a book of kind. Wild cards cannot be used in straights, only an exact card/suit can replace a cannibal card in a straight.
• Once a cannibal card has been removed, the player must use this as his/her discard and it freezes the pile as a red or black three would do.
• If a player clears more than one cannibal card in a play, he/she may bank the extra cannibal cards as discards only and leaves them on the table face up until he/she discards them. If the games ends before these cards are discarded and are still on the table face up, they are counted against the player.
ENDING THE ROUND
To end the game a player must have completed the required books and must dispose of all cards in his/her hand. Remember that each play starts with a two draws.
• If a player can play all the cards and does so, he/she is OUT and no discard is required.
• If a player can play all but one card and discards the remaining one, he/she is OUT.
Teams: Partners are not allowed to strategize with one another during the course of the game. The only legitimate question a player may ask his partner is: “May I go out?” and receive a “yes” or a “no”.
CARDS VALUES AND SCORING:
Number of Decks: For up to 4 players, two decks of standard playing cards with jokers (per person) are used plus one for the pot (so for 4 people you need 9 decks).
Cards should all be the same size and have the same design on the backside, however half of the cards should be red and the other blue. The one-for-the pot makes an uneven number may be either red or blue/black. Ultimately players can determine how many decks to add after the first four players. The fewer the decks, the harder it is to amass a coup.
CARDS POINT VALUE OF INDIVIDUAL CARDS
4, 5, 6, 7 (5 points)
8, 9, 10, J, Q, K (10 points)
Ace (20 points)
2’s (50 point Wild/Coup Cards)
3’s Black (-300 point Discards. Held against you if a player goes out and you are caught with these cards in your hand and unplayed feet.)
3’s Red (-500 point Discards. Held against you if a player goes out and you are caught with these cards in your hand and unplayed feet.)
Jokers -500 (Cannibal Cards then discards) Held against you if a player goes out and your are caught with these cards in your hand, in your incomplete books, in your banked face up discard pile, or in unplayed feet.
THE INITIAL MELD
At the beginning of each round, before an individual or team is allowed to build books, collect from the discard pile, or capture cards, they must each individually “meld” a requisite number of points by laying a specific point value face up on the table in front of him/her.
Point value for a meld is determined by the cumulative score of previous rounds. A meld must meet the following minimum point (based on the card value table) value of one or more Valid Card Combinations.
Current Score Points Requisite Meld Points
0-2500 60
2501-5000 90
5001-7500 120
7501-10000 150
10001-12500 180
12501-14999 200
VALID MELD COMBINATIONS
Minimum of 3 cards with at least 2 non-wild cards either of similar indications (all 4, king, 6, Aces, etc) or as a straight of the same suit (5,6,7,etc)
- No Wild Cards can be used in a straight
- You cannot play jokers/cannibal cards until you have melded and there are cards laid out by opponents that can be cannibalized.
If playing in teams, each player is required to individually meld. Individual melds may not be combined together to make a book. (i.e. if the first of a partner pair melds 3 aces (60 points), the second partner may want to choose something other than aces to meld with. Otherwise, the team will be working to simultaneously complete two books of aces.) After each partner has melded, All books being built are displayed face up in front of the partner who melded first and both may play on any of their initial melds or begin new books with at least three cards of a valid combination.
REQUIRED BOOKS BEFORE GOING OUT:
INDIVIDUALS:
2 Red books (seven a kind, no wild cards)
2 Black books (seven of kind, no more than 2 wild cards)
1 Straight (seven cards of same suit in a numerical run, i.e. A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 or K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 or Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 or J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4. Threes may not be used in a straight. They are for discard only.
TEAMS (same as individuals but with one additional straight):
2 Straights (seven cards of same suit in a numerical run, i.e. A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 or K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 or Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 or J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4.
2 Books of 2 for a 10,000 pt. Coup
THE COUP - NOT REQUIRED – BUT A Real Point COUP IF YOU CAN PULL IT OFF!
A book of seven 2’s is a 10,000 point coup for individual players. The game does not end, but continues as usual. Therefore, it important that anyone who lays down a coup is prepared to defend this position aggressively against cannibalism.
If playing as teams/partners, a book of 2’s is only worth 5,000 points. To get 10,000 points a team would need two books of 2’s.
SCORING
First) Players determine their scores after the first person/team goes out. The first thing players do is assess their liabilities. The liabilities are the point values of cards remaining in their current hand, any unplayed feet, any jokers remaining face up in their books or banked discard pile. These are minus points to be subtracted from the players score. These cards set to the side or returned to the deck after their liabilities have been duly noted.
Second) Players count up their assets (completed books)
Assets – Books of 7 Score Points
First to go OUT 200
Impure (black books) no more than 2 wild cards. 300
Pure (red books) no wild cards 500
Straights 1500
Coup – 2’s 10000/Individuals 5000/team
Third) Players combine all the cards from their assets and those cards remaining on the table and count up the point values of the cards.
After subtracting the liabilities from each players points, a final score for the round is determined and becomes the basis for the meld in the next round or a win if the player goes over 15,000 points.
FIJI RUMMY – Quick Reference
CARD POINT VALUES:
4, 5, 6, 7 5
8, 9, 10, J, Q, K 10
Ace 20
2’s 50 (Wild/Coup Cards
3’s (Black) -300 (Discards. Held against you if a player goes out and you are caught with these cards in your hand and unplayed feet .)
3’s (Red) -500 (Discards. Held against you if a player goes out and you are caught with these cards in your hand and unplayed feet.)
Jokers -500 (Cannibal Cards then discards) Held against you if a player goes out and your are caught with these cards in your hand, in your incomplete books, in your banked face up discard pile, or in unplayed feet.
Requisite MELDS
Current Score Points Requisite Meld Points
0-2500 60
2501-5000 90
5001-7500 120
7501-10000 150
10001-12500 180
12501-14999 200
REQUIRED BOOKS BEFORE GOING OUT:
INDIVIDUALS:
2 Red books (seven a kind, no wild cards)
2 Black books (seven of kind, no more than 2 wild cards)
1 Straight (seven cards of same suit in a numerical run, i.e. A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 or K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 or Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 or J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4. Threes may not be used in a straight. They are for discard only.
TEAMS (same as individuals but with one additional straight):
2 Straights (seven cards of same suit in a numerical run, i.e. A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 or K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 or Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 or J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4.
2 Books of 2 for a 10,000 pt. Coup
SCORING
Assets – Books of 7 Score Points
First to go OUT 200
Impure (black books) no more than 2 wild cards. 300
Pure (red books) no wild cards 500
Straights 1500
Coup – 2’s 10000/Individuals 5000/team
Drop us a comment and let us know what you think! Cheers!
Nice article. Thank you for information......!!
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ReplyDeleteIndian Rummy
I read whole article and its very informative about Rummy. Keep posted more. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Rozlynn,You explained Fiji Rummy rules in a easy manner, but still a little bit of confusion in scoring and required books.I felt that it would be better if you explained with images/videos.
ReplyDeleteReally want to try this fiji rummy looks very intresting and innovative.Never heard about this in the past. Usually I play indian rummy,but over the time got bored of it and now you have given me a new crazy thing.hope it makes me mad.
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