Mountain Rummy

Mountain Rummy is based on classic draw and discard Rummy style play which melds elements of Rummy 500 and Gin Rummy, along with many fresh play elements to create a game that strives to be more skill based and less luck based than other Rummy based games. Players will find that it's a poor idea to form a static strategy, since an opponent will undermine any one strategy if performed too often, creating a need for constantly adjusting strategy incorporating math, gambits, psychology and many other elements. Created by the strategy board game loving couple Keith and Luci Medlock, Mountain Rummy was designed to replace more complex strategy games while mountaineering with only a single pack of cards, a laminated instruction sheet and dry erase marker!

Here are the official rules:

MOUNTAIN RUMMY (2 Players & Standard Deck)

Deadwood: Non-melded cards in hand.

Card Values: A=1 or 14 (Deadwood=14), 2-10=Face Value, Jack=11, Q=12, K=13, & Joker=Wild (Deadwood=15). Suits rank in alphabetical order, Spades high.

Deal: Jr player shuffles, Sr cuts & Jr deals 1 card to Sr, then self. High card deals. Dealer shuffles, non-dealer cuts & 13 cards are dealt from top of deck in alternating fashion to form hands, starting w/ non-dealer. 1 card is dealt face up from top of deck to form discard pile & rest of deck is placed face down to form stock pile.

Set: 3 or 4 same value cards.

Run: ≥3 same suit cards w/ sequential value.

Meld: Set or Run placed face up in your play area. Joker can’t make run w/ duplicate cards & melded value can’t be changed.

Layoff: Placing card that adds to either player’s existing meld face up in your play area. If laying off on opponent’s melds, their melds may be reorganized.

Draw: Taking top card of stock pile or any card from discard pile. If discard pile card is drawn, it may not be discarded the same turn. If discard pile card other than topmost is drawn, any cards above it must be taken & it must be melded/laid off that turn.
Discard: Placing 1 card face up on top of discard pile, ensuring each lower card’s value is visible.

Knock: Discarding face down w/ Deadwood ≤ 10. Opponent may meld/layoff before scoring.

Base Camp: Discarding face down w/ 0 Deadwood (10 pt bonus).

High Camp: Melding/laying off all cards in hand (20 pt bonus).

Play: Non-dealer plays first. Turn begins w/ a draw, then melding/laying off (optional) & ends with a discard. You may end hand by Knocking, Base/High Camp.

Undercut: Non-knocking player’s Deadwood ≤ knocking player’s & value of melds/layoffs ≥ knocking player’s (30 pt bonus).

Summit: Ending hand w/ Base/High Camp w/o melding/laying off on previous turns (40 pt bonus).

Scoring: Standard pts awarded to players for value of cards in their melds/layoffs, less Deadwood. Player w/ most standard pts wins hand & deals next. Bonus points transfer to winner. Add all pts for each player to their previous total. Game won by hand winner w/ final score of ≥1000.