Power Cards for Rummy Games

Rummy games

You can find dozens of rummy games on Pagat. Typical Rummy games include the following mechanics:

- Draw the top card from the discard pile or deck, and then discard a card.
- Meld sets of cards from your hand onto the table, either three of a kind or a three or four card straight flush.
- After melding, you may add additional cards to your own or your opponent's melds.
- First one out scores the remaining cards left in opponent's hand. Melds may also score points for each player.

The following variant can be used to jazz up almost any Rummy game.

Materials needed

blank cards (or pieces of paper), pen.

Setup

Create the following cards:

• DRAW: Draw three cards, choose one, and put the other two back on top of, or at the bottom of, the deck.
• DRAW: Pick any single card from the discard pile.
• OPP: Prevent an opponent from drawing either from the deck or discard pile this turn.
• TURN: Name a card. Hand opponent a card from your hand. Opponent must give you the named card in exchange for yours, if he or she has it. Otherwise, opponent gives you any card in exchange for yours.
• TURN: Take another turn.
• PLAY: Change the suit of one of your cards.
• PLAY: Shift one card up or down up to two ranks (e.g. from 9 to jack, or vice versa)
• OPP: Prevent your opponent from melding this turn.
• PLAY: Add 50% value to one of your melds.
• TURN: On your first turn only, name a rank. Cards of that rank do not score points this round.
• TURN: On your first turn only, name a suit. All cards melded of that suit this round net you an additional two points.
• DRAW: Opponent flips a coin. You call it. If you called correctly, draw an additional card. Continue flipping and calling until you lose a toss. Discard down to the correct hand size at the end of your turn.
• TURN: Discard all of your cards and pick the same number of new ones. Opponent does the same.
• TURN: Mix hands with opponent. Each player takes back as many cards as he or she started with.
• TURN: Look at the bottom card of the deck and show it to all players. Remix and cut the deck. Opponent may not meld with that card. You may use that card as a wild card.
• TURN: Look at opponent's hand.

Add other cards as you think of them.

Rules

Deal each player one Power card before each round (two, if you're feeling wild). Each card may be used once and is then discarded. Unused cards at the end of the round are discarded. Reshuffle and deal again for the next round.

Alternatively, you can hold on to unused cards for the next round, thereby accumulating several.

Alternatively, before each round flip open N+1 cards, where N is the number of players. Hold an auction for first pick, second pick, and so on. The last player to pick takes his or her choice of card for free. Payment is in points.

DRAW: this card replaces your regular draw.
TURN: this card is used any time on your turn.
OPP: this card is used in response to an opponent's action on his turn.
PLAY: this card is used when you play a meld.

Yehuda