The first meld in each of the 10 rounds is different with increasing difficulty. To begin their turn, a player can either draw from the stock pile or discard pile. Gameplay moves clockwise, starting with the player left of the dealer. A meld must, however, have more natural cards than wildcards. After a meld is formed, it is communal and other players can build upon them until it has seven cards. Melds must begin with at least three cards. The top card of the stock is then flipped over and placed to the side to form the discard pile.Ī meld is a group cards of the same rank, or of the same suit in an increasing sequence.
The dealer then shuffles the decks and passes out eleven cards, one by one, clockwise to each player. The player with the highest card becomes the first dealer. Before gameplay can begin, every player must draw a card from a shuffled deck. To set up a game of Shanghai Rummy, players need to form a circle around a stable playing area. The objective of Shanghai Rummy is to be the first player to go out and to have the fewest points. In Shanghai, Aces are either high or low depending on what the player wants it to be. It requires two decks of standard playing cards, including Jokers, and is suitable for ages 12 and up. Shanghai is a rummy type game with specific entry melds for two to four players.
