Joker: The Trump in Rummy Card Game

POV: You have just joined a rummy tournament and you are hoping to get dealt good cards in the game. Although your wish comes true, you are disappointed to see no joker in your hand. On every turn, you look forward to picking a joker but to no avail! Finally, after the first few rounds of the game, you get the most awaited card – the joker.

Joker is the most decisive card in rummy games that can either make or break your game. This trump card is used as a replacement for any missing card in a potential sequence or set. Moreover, it also carries no points, thus adding to its importance in the game. 

Despite being the trump card, the importance of joker in rummy games is sometimes neglected by players. If you wish to ace your next game or tournament, you must learn to use this card wisely. In this blog post, we have shared some smart tips on how to use the joker and how you can make the most of it in a game.

1. Create a bigger sequence

A joker can be used as a connecting card to form a bigger sequence. Suppose you are dealt 6♣, 7♣, 9♣ and 10♣, you can use a joker as a substitute for the missing card i.e. 8♣. Thus, you have grouped 5 cards in your hand and are left with only 6 cards more to make a valid declaration. 

Once you have two sequences in your hand, you can arrange the remaining cards easily using jokers. So try to create a bigger sequence to reach the finish line faster than your opponents. 

2. Do not use it in a pure sequence

A pure sequence is mandatory to make a valid declaration in Indian rummy. It consists of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit and doesn’t have jokers in it, unless used in its original value and not as a replacement. If you have a joker in the original hand, you should avoid using it to form a pure sequence unless it is necessary.

A joker used in a pure sequence is essentially wasted. If you receive a difficult hand, do not become dejected and throw away the bad cards. Instead, bluff your opponents into discarding the cards that you need. In this way, you can create a pure sequence.

3. Use the joker as is

By now you might have understood that not every hand is a winning hand in a rummy game. You may be dealt the worst cards and get just one joker, which may be a ray of hope for you. 

If you are not ready to drop out of the game, you can always work with what you have and make the most of it. However, ensure that you have a pure sequence in place, which is mandatory to make a valid declaration in the game. If the chances of creating a pure sequence are slim, you should not hesitate to drop out of the game.

We hope these few tricks will help you sail through your next rummy game. If you are looking for a platform to play online rummy games, you can get started with Junglee Rummy. We are a top-notch platform for rummy games with an ever-expanding user-base of over 40 million users. 

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