Rommé – Rummy à la Ghidi

Player: 2–6 · Cards: 2 French decks + 6 jokers (Rommé deck), 110 · Type: Rummy family

Objective

Be the first to get rid of all your cards; have the fewest minus points over several rounds.

Equipment & setup

2 French-suited decks + 6 jokers (110 cards). Each player gets 10 cards, the dealer 11. The rest forms the face-down stock; the discard pile starts empty.

Card ranking & card values

Ace 11 (as 1 in A-2-3), face cards 10, 2–10 face value; a joker has the value of the card it replaces. Penalty for cards left: joker 20, ace 11, otherwise card value.

Gameplay

1) The dealer starts: with 11 cards, they discard first (they may lay down beforehand if they can).

2) Then clockwise: draw from the stock or take the top discard, lay down or add to melds (only after going out for the first time), finally discard one card.

3) First lay-down as in classic rummy: total ≥30 (house rule 40).

Special rules & special cards

Hand Rommé: laying out all cards at once without having come out before – counts double.

Scoring & points

Winner 0; other players pay the value of their remaining cards (double after a Hand Rommé). Alternatively: whoever hasn’t laid out anything yet pays 100.

End of game & winning

After an agreed number of rounds or when a player exceeds a limit (e.g. 500).

Origin & history

American Rum/Rummy (early 20th century, from the Mexican Conquian) came to Germany in the 1920s–30s and became a family classic as 'Rommé' with 110 cards. According to an Ipsos study, Rommé is one of the Germans’ favourite games.