When we get to hear the word ‘Joker’, most general people get reminded of ‘Circus’, while comic fans get reminded of the villain of ‘Batman’, but all the rummy players get reminded of the Joker cards in rummy. When you play rummy, you get and use joker cards to form sequences/sets and do the valid show to win. Let us know more about the joker card in online rummy.

Types of Jokers

The rules of rummy allow two types of Joker cards: One is a printed joker and the other one is a wild card joker a.k.a. cut joker.

• The Printed Joker: Did you know? The printed joker was added to the deck of cards late around the year 1860 to be used as an extra trump card. Since then the deck of 52 cards always have had 2 extra cards in the form of a printed joker. It has an image of a jester and is always used as the joker in rummy.
• The Wild Card Joker: one card is chosen randomly from the deck and it becomes the ‘wild card joker’ for that particular game of rummy. E.g. if the 7 of spades is pulled out, then all 7s become the wild card joker; 7 of spades, diamonds, hearts, and clubs. These two types of jokers can be of great help to make sequences and sets in Indian rummy.

In online rummy game, the joker card does not carry any points. This means, while doing a valid show, you can keep it as a single free card in your 13 cards.

Tips to use the Joker card smartly in rummy:

• After the initial cards are dealt, and the wild card joker is revealed, only then plan to group your given cards into sets/sequences.
• Always prefer to use the joker to form sequences with high-value cards like face cards. This way, you will reduce your deadwood points quickly.
• Always ensure that you are making a ‘Pure sequence’. Until then, all the other sequences/sets having a joker will be invalid.
• A strategy regularly used by some rummy players, you can get rid of cards adjacent to the wild joker. E.g. if your wild joker is 8. Then you can discard 6, 7, 9, and 10 value cards.
• Having excess joker cards is not a good thing. You can discard the additional jokers, but only at the right time, definitely not in the beginning.
• If you have already made a set of 3 cards without a joker, although you can use it, do not use it in the set. It will be pointless, rather use the joker in some other set/sequence.
• If you are getting a joker in the open deck in the beginning, always prefer it over any card from the closed deck in rummy games online.

Some lesser known rules about the joker card:

• If in a rummy game, a player discards a joker card, then no other player should pick it.
• A joker cannot be used in a set of 4 cards. E.g. if you can make a set of 5 of all 4 suits, you won’t be able to add a joker to it, else it will be invalid. You can only add a joker to 1 or 2 cards of a set.
• To make a set/sequence, a maximum of 2 jokers is allowed to use. They can be both printed jokes, both wild jokers or 1 printed and 1 wild joker.
• If a printed joker itself becomes the wild card joker, then as per the rules, all the aces cards become the wild card jokers in that rummy game.

If you are unable to form the last sequence for a long time and get a joker from the closed deck, voila, you are suddenly ready to do a valid show. Hence, a joker card is a crucial and game-changing card for any rummy player. Always use it wisely and smartly, to win the game of rummy online.