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Carioca Rummy

January 31, 2010

Everything about Carioca Rummy

Online rummy games are interesting because they are easy to play and hence high on the popularity charts.
You will come across a huge number of card games on the internet, but you might find that you can play online rummy quite easily, even if you are not very familiar with how the basic game of rummy is played.
So, you can play online rummy variations like Gin Rummy, Kalooki Rummy, Oklahoma Gin, Rummy 500, Canasta or Carioca rummy at one of the various gaming sites like Rummyroyal.com that exclusively offer card games.
Here, we discuss the rules and peculiarities that make up the game of Carioca Rummy.

Carioca rummy is a popular game in Chile and Argentina.
Carioca is a variant of Contract Rummy, but there are many differences in both these games.
Firstly, Contract rummy can be played among three or more players.
Carioca has two players.
In Carioca, the use of Jokers is optional whereas it is essential to use Jokers in Contract rummy.
Players are dealt 12 cards every time, unlike in Contract rummy where the number of cards dealt depends on the contract.
In contract Rummy, there are 7 contracts while in Carioca there are eight.
Sequences in Carioca can go “round the corner” but this is not allowed in Contract Rummy.

As I mentioned earlier, there are two players in Carioca and they use two decks of cards totaling to 104 cards.
If two Jokers are used, and mind you, this is optional, there will be 106 cards making the game a shade more interesting.
The card values are as follows: From 2 to 10 they are counted at face value, King, Queen and Jack equal 10 points, Aces equal 15 points and Jokers are valued at 25 points.

To begin the game the dealer is determined first.
The cards are shuffled and cut.
The person who draws the lowest card will deal first.
Each player will be dealt 12 cards.
The remaining cards form the stock, placed face down on the table.
The topmost card in the Stock pile is turned up and placed on the table to form the discard pile.
The main objective of the game is to create specific melds known as contracts.
Each hand will have different rules for the contract and once the contract is met, the players can lay off their cards on their own meld or the opponent’s meld.
Play begins with the dealer’s opponent drawing a card first – remember, there are only two players in Carioca.

When you play online rummy, the basic rules of the game are the same as the traditional play.
In Carioca, the melds are known by special names, i.e. Trio and Escala.
A Trio is a set of three cards of the same value while an Escala is a sequence of 4 or more cards of the same suit.
A sequence can go ’round the corner’, i.e. you can have an Escala of King, Ace, 2 and 3 of hearts.
As usual, the Jokers are designated wild cards.

Each of the 8 contracts will comprise of a combination of Trios and Escalas according to the following rules: 

First Deal — 2 Trios (6 cards)

Second Deal — 1Trio and 1 Escala (7 cards)

Third Deal — 2 Escalas (8 cards)

Fourth Deal — 3 Trios (9 cards)

Fifth Deal — 2 Trios and 1 Escala (10 cards)

Sixth Deal — 1 Trio and 2 Escalas (11 cards)

Seventh Deal — 4 Trios (12 cards)

Eighth Deal — 3 Escalas (12 cards)

As you will observe, the contract becomes more and more difficult as the game progresses.
Once you meet a contract, you must lay down the meld and discard.
You are not allowed to lay off any cards at this point in time, you may however, lay off at your next turn.
Laying off cards is a way to get rid of the cards in your hand.
The person who lays off the cards and discards first wins that hand.
The other player will have the cards remaining in his hand scored.
The one who has the least number of points at the end of all the 8 deals wins the Carioca Rummy game.

When you play rummy, that is Carioca rummy, you can draw your card from either of the piles, that is, either the stock pile or the face-up discard pile.
The card picked up from the stock pile can be held while another can be discarded in its place.
Or, the same card can be dropped off.
The play will continue in this manner until someone meets a contract for the particular deal, lays it down and gets rid of the rest of his cards.

Although the basic structure of Carioca Rummy is the same as any other rummy variation, the difficulty level of this game is slightly higher since you need to make the specific contracts.
But once you get to know the game thoroughly, you could even begin to enjoy this game.
If you wish to play online rummy, you can go to sites like Rummyroyal.com which offer games like Gin rummy and other online rummy games for that matter.

Playing rummy online is a matter of observation and skill.
When you play rummy, you are required to exercise your powers of observation to memorize the cards that are being played so that you get an idea of your opponent’s moves.
A good way to polish your skills and learn the strategies of the game is to play online rummy for free. Enjoy the thrills and practice your game till you achieve perfection.
You could then participate in online rummy tournaments and win big time. 
Enjoy the freeroll tournaments at Rummy Royal where you can win real money for free.

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