There are several board games that can be played at parties and are fit for various age groups. One of the popular games is Rummoli. It is a simple, poker-based board game that has been around for just about forever. Chances are good that you may have a Rummoli game stashed somewhere in the attic. A typical purchased game contains a large cloth printed with an octagon containing eight equal segments and a stack of poker chips. If you don’t have the poker chips, substitute pennies, matches, or even candy canes for a holiday touch.
If you don’t have a Rummoli game already, you can easily purchase one at any store that sells games. A Rummoli game won’t cost much more than a latte or two. You can also read a guide and reviews of the game from gaming websites or casino reviews websites. It is a fact and also believed that Rummoli is one of the most played in the decade. It is easy to play and interesting to continue playing year after year. It is addictive and best for parties.
What is on the Rummoli Cloth
Each segment of the Rummoli cloth contains the image of a specific poker hand as follows: Poker Pot, Ten of Spades, Jack of Diamonds, Queen of Clubs, King of Hearts, Ace of Spades, Ace-King of Diamonds, and Sequence 7-8-9. In the center of the octagon is the word Rummoli.
Preparing to Play Rummoli
Here’s How You Prepare To Play Rummoli:
- Seat the participants (from two to eight) around a table and place the Rummoli cloth in the center.
- Cut the cards and determine the dealer. Note that the ace is always high in Rummoli.
- Divide the chips (or pennies or matches or candy canes) evenly among the participants.
- Ask each participant to place one chip on each of the eight segments of the Rummoli board and in the center section for a total of nine chips.
- Deal the cards around the table and deal an extra hand (called the widow).
Auctioning the Extra Hand
Once The Cards Are Dealt, The Extra Hand (the Widow) Must Be Auctioned As Follows:
- The dealer can opt to exchange his hand for the widow. However, he is not permitted to look at the widow before making the exchange.
- If the dealer decides not to take the widow, he can auction it to the highest bidder. The dealer keeps the proceeds of the auction.
Bidding for the Poker Pot
- Everyone checks their hand and determines if they want to be part of the poker pot. They make the decision based on their best 5-card combination (e.g., Royal Flush, Straight, etc.). On most Rummoli boards, the various 5-card combinations are printed right in the Poker Pot segment.
- Each person declares if they are “in for poker” and places a chip in the Poker Pot.
- Betting begins on who has the best poker hand. The person who wins the betting takes all the chips in the pot.
Putting Down the Cards
- The person who wins the Poker Pot plays his or her lowest card in any suit.
- The person with the next highest card in the same suit (for example, a Three of Hearts if Player 1 played a Two of Hearts) plays the card. Note that Player 1 can play the next card or cards in the sequence.
- Play continues until no one is able to play the next card. The reason why a card cannot be played is because the card will be in the extra hand left over after the widow hand was exchanged.
Watching Out for Card Combinations
While play continues, people watch out for the card combinations on the Rummoli board. If someone plays the Queen of Clubs, for example, they get all the chips in the Queen of Clubs space.
Continuing the Play
- The person who played the last card, begins the sequence again by playing the lowest card in an opposite color suit. For example, the lowest card in a red suit (Diamonds or Hearts) will be played if the previous suit was Spades or Clubs.
- If the person does not have a low card in an opposite color suit, play is passed to the person on the left.
- Play continues around the table until the next card in the sequence can no longer be played.
- Cards in the last two suits are played until someone runs out of cards.
- The round is over when someone has no cards left to play.
Finishing a Round
- At the end of a round, all the players who still have cards must count how many cards they have left. They then place the same number of chips as they have cards into the Rummoli space in the middle of the board. For example, if someone has 3 cards left, they place 3 chips into the Rummoli space.
- The person who played all of their cards first gets all the chips in the Rummoli space.
Continuing the Rounds
As the rounds continue, a considerable pile of chips usually accumulates on some of the more difficult spaces such as Ace-King of Diamonds and Sequence 7-8-9.
Ending the Game
The game ends when the first person runs out of chips. To determine the final winner and clear the board of all chips, a final poker hand can be played as follows:
- Move all the chips into the Rummoli section.
- Deal five cards to each person.
- Bid for the best poker hand. The winner takes the contents of the Rummoli section.
Everyone then adds of their chips. The person with the most chips, or pennies, or matches, or candy canes is the winner!
Rummoli is a game suitable for just about all ages. Even children as young as eight or nine are able to enjoy playing Rummoli. And watch out for Grandma! She’s usually the sharpest player at the table.