In India, popular card games go by many names. Rummy, for example, is often called Paplu. Tracing the roots of this game will take one back to Spain. The game was known as Conquain. It soon spread to different parts of the world as the Spanish established their colonies all over. But, it was the British rule in India which brought the game here.
The card game Paplu is a mixture of all the different versions of Rummy out there. One can find similarities with Gin Rummy and Rummy 500 while playing. Even though it is a wagering game, its popularity is hard to beat.
What is Paplu?
Similar to Rummy 500, Paplu uses 13 cards for each player. Two to eight players can play the game together. Two standard 52 card decks are part of the game. Often, some players use wildcards. Then, the card counts go up to 108. The card count can go up further depending on the number of players. But, each player gets only 13 cards while playing.
For example, if there are four players, don’t be surprised if there are only two decks. Participants take turn dealing cards and deal out 13 cards to each. After they have dealt the hands, the next card on the deck is put up face first. This card denotes the start of the discard pile. On the other side, the rest of the cards are placed face down.
Objectives of the card game Paplu
Each player in the game has to turn the 13 cards in their hand into runs and sets. So, a run is a sequence of cards that are part of the same suit. A set, on the other hand, is made of cards that have the same rank but different suits.
A run usually consists of three or more cards but a set contains three cards only. Sometimes, a set is also termed as a trio or a trail. If there are more than three decks, cards of the same suit and rank can be used to form a set or a run.
As a player, your purpose is to turn as many cards into runs and sets.
For example, if you have a 4 of clubs, 3 of clubs and 5 of clubs, you can arrange them to form a run.
If you have a 9 of spades, 9 of diamonds and a 9 of clubs, you can use it to form a set.
But if you have a 3 of clubs, a 4 of hearts and a 5 of diamonds, you cannot go for a run. Similarly, if you have a king of spades, a king of hearts but a queen of clubs, it will not make a valid set.
The aim of the game is to discard all the cards in one’s hand. A player can do this by forming runs and sets that we were talking about earlier.
Playing Paplu
At first, you need to assign a dealer. Once they have distributed the first 13 cards, the play begins. The player to the right-hand side of the dealer picks up the top card from the discarded pile or the stockpile.
Both acts of drawing cards and discarding them are mandatory parts of the game. The players must take one card from any of the piles. However, since the discarded pile is face up, other players can see the card that is being picked up. The stockpile stays face down so, some prefer that.
Once you draw a card, go through the cards that you have. Choose one that does not help you in any way. Discard that card and put it face up. Use the rest to form runs and sets.
The game follows an anticlockwise direction and players pick up a new card while discarding an existing one. The game stops when any one of them manages to get rid of all 13 cards in their hand.
Do keep in mind, that you can choose to fold your cards. But, you need to do that in the first round. You can add your cards to the bottom of the discard stack. You may also choose to fold during the game, which can be even more expensive. Folding at the start means you have to pay the winner 10 points. If you choose to fold after the game has started, then you will be forced to give 40 points. In case, of the latter, the cards are kept aside and are not added to the stack.
Things to keep in mind while playing the card game Paplu:
- You can only use one card at a time. If you use a card for a run, then you cannot use the same card to form a set during that round of play.
- When there are two standard decks in play, you might get the same card. You can use them on different runs or sets. But, you cannot use them both to form a run or a set.
For example, you have two kings of diamonds and a king of clubs in your hand. You cannot combine them to form a set. You can create a set with one of the diamonds, the club and if you have a king from another suite.
- Some people use Jokers as wildcards. In that case, you need to have at least one run or set without a joker. Such a set or a run is a ‘pure’ sequence.
- You have to discard and pick a new card every turn.
- 5. You cannot draw and discard the same card in one round.
- 6. You meld your cards in your hand. You show your cards only when you have at least two runs or sets.
- 7. If you wish to declare your melds and claim victory, you put your card face down on the discard pile.
- 8. If the stockpile runs out at any given point during the game, the discard pile is shuffled to create a new stockpile. This may happen when there is one card in the discard pile, and a player does not want to choose that card.
- 9. If everyone decides to pack apart from one person, that person is declared the winner. Others need to pay the winner according to when they decided to fold.
- 10. If a player declares Paplu or Rummy after the first round, everyone else pays half for the deadwood in their hands.
- 11. Hand-Rummy is a rare occasion in Paplu. But, it occurs from time to time. A player who gets 13 cards that can form runs and sets may call Hand-Rummy. The declaration must take place before they pick up their first card. Players who have played before the new winner have to pay twice the amount of deadwood points. Points payment remains unchanged for players who decided to pack or players who are yet to play during that round.
How does scoring work in the card game Paplu
In Indian Rummy, a player needs to have two valid sequences to go Rummy.
Face cards, i.e. Jack, Queen, King and Ace gets you 10 points each. The rest of the cards go with their pip value. So, a 7 of diamonds would be worth 7 points. If you are playing with Jokers, note that they are worth zero points.
Aces are the highest value card in Indian Rummy followed by King, Queen, and Jack. Once a player has declared Rummy, the rest of the players have to show their melds. Then the deadwood is counted up to assign everyone a score.
The dealer tallies up the deadwood cards only. These are the cards that are not part of any melds. The combined deadwood points earned by everyone else becomes part of the winner’s spoils.
The game continues till a certain score is reached, or everyone gets to play a certain amount of rounds.
You need the right balance of skill and luck to win Paplu games. You need to know when to pack or fold and when to call Rummy. If you declare Rummy within 2 to 3 card picks, it is a safe bet where your chances of winning are high. The more you proceed in the game, and no one declares Rummy the more difficult it is going to get.
Players often forget that you can use discarding to mislead others. You can use it to stall them, and it sometimes helps your cause. If you time it right, you will be able to make the most of our chances. You need to practice to ensure that your skills do not fall short. Once you have the skillset, whether or not luck is on your side, you will win games and make some money.
Playing the card game Paplu (Indian Rummy) online
Indian Rummy or the Paplu card game has become a fan favourite in recent times. At, Rupee Casinos, we have taken time to figure out the best places where you can play. We believe that your time is precious. On top of that, it is hard to find a reliable site to play these days.
We hope that you find our selection of online casinos to your liking. Paplu is a game that means a lot to you, our players. Some of you grew up playing it just like us. We can understand your emotions when it comes to this game. We hope that you have a great time on our website learning about it. So, go on out there, win some games and make all of us proud!
