Liverpool Rummy, which is simultaneously called May I? by many gamblers, is a variation of Contract Rummy. It has seven hands and, in each hand, the objectives change. Using many of the same rules as other rummy card games, each player must try to make sets and sequences but the number of cards dealt and the type of hands required changes with each hand. This game was adapted from the original rummy games in the official Hoyle books.
Preparing for and Dealing the Cards for Game Play
This is a multiple-deck game. For this game a deck of cards includes the 52 playing cards plus 2 jokers which will be wild cards. For two to four people, two decks of cards are required. For five to eight people, three or four decks can be used. Shuffle all the decks together. Starting on the dealers left, deal the cards to each person until the necessary number of cards have been dealt out. The number of cards that are needed changes with each hand. For the first hand, seven cards are dealt to each person, for the second through fourth, ten cards are dealt to each person, and for the fifth through seventh, 12 cards are dealt.
Turn the remaining cards over face down in the middle of the table. This is the pick-up pile. Remove the top card and turn it over face up next to that pile. This is the discard pile.
Liverpool Rummy Hands for Playing the Game
For each of the seven hands in this card game, the requirements or goals of each hand change. In order to meld cards (lay them down on the table), the player must meet the requirements of the hand and put the required cards down all together.
Based on the purposes to be delivered, a “set” is made of at least three cards of equal value like three fours or three Jacks and simultaneously a “sequence” is made up of at least four cards made of the same suit and run sequentially like 3, 4, 5 and 6 of spades. An Ace is played as either a low card or a high card, but cannot be in the middle of a sequence, it must either begin or end the sequence. For example: A, 2, 3, 4 is acceptable but Q, K, A, 2 is not.
The hand starting meld requirements are as follows:
Seven cards are dealt – In these two sets are required.
Ten cards are dealt – In this situation one set and one sequence are required.
Ten cards are dealt – In the ten cards two sequences are required.
Ten cards are dealt – In these three sets are needed.
Twelve cards are dealt – In the twelve cards two sets and one sequence are required.
Twelve cards are dealt – In this one set and two sequences are required.
Twelve cards are dealt – In these two sets of three and a sequence of seven are required with no discard and all the cards need to be melded at the same time.
Game Play for Liverpool Rummy
After the cards are dealt each player looks at their hands and sorts them as needed. The first player on the dealer’s left starts the game by picking up a card either from the pick-up pile or the discard pile. At this time the player can either use the card, place it in his hand or discard it. At any time during a players turn, after picking up a card and before discarding, he may meld the required starting cards if he has them. Once the required cards are melded, he can then either play off another player’s melded cards or discard and the play moves to the next player to the left.
“May I?” An Opportunity to Pick Up Cards Out of Turn
At this point everyone at the table may look at the discard and decide whether or not they need it. If someone wants the discarded card they must say, “May I?” If the player to the immediate left of the last player looks for the card, he takes it as his normal turn. If not, the below are applied:
If the “May I” player is the only person who wants the card they may take it plus one card from the pick-up pile.
If the player that is taking the card also wants another card further down in the discard pile, she must pick up the card that is down in the pile and any cards that are laying on top of it. These cards will all go into her hand.
If more than one person wants the card or any cards in the pile, the “May I” goes to the closest of those people to the last player’s left.
There is no discarding on a “May I” play.
Discarding and Playing Off Another Player’s Meld
According to a popular website online-casinos.kz, when discarding a card each player must make sure that it could not have been played off of another player’s melded cards. If a card is discarded that could have been played off of someone else, the other players at the table have the opportunity of saying “Rummy”. If Rummy is called the card is played and each player gives the offending player one of their cards.
If a player is discarding his final card for the hand and has no other cards left, do note that this does not apply.
Scoring for the Game
When a player goes out by using up all of the cards in her hand, the play ends for that hand and the rest of the players tally up their scores using the cards that they have not melded. Aces are worth 25 points, Jokers are 50 points, cards 2 through 9 are five points each and cards 10, J, Q, and K are worth 10 points each. The player with the lowest score at the end of seven hands is the winner of the game.
