Rummy is one of the most popular classic card game in the world. The gameplay may vary depending on the rules of each area. There was no evidence showed when rummy entered Thailand but it was likely during the reign of King Rama V. It is understanding that Thai people have created a new style and rules of gameplay and named dummy as a fun game that challenges the player's cunning and wisdom.
There are two variations of Thai dummy: score-counting dummy and knock dummy. The score-counting dummy is complete when one player reaches a cumulative score of 500. The game takes much time to the target score and the rule is not really strict.
Nowadays knock dummy with strict rules is much more popular than traditional score-counting game. The game ends when a player knocks or the stock pile is out of cards, count scores and pay the values of gameplay at once, no cumulative scores required and quitting time can be set in advance. Most Thai people enjoy playing it very much.
The strict rule of Thai knock dummy is specially designed by the president of dummy club for all dummy lovers. Please open your mind and try to learn it. It plays fast and fun. For more understanding how to play Thai knock dummy, we recommend reading Thai knock dummy terms page first.
Set
In standard Thai knock dummy, the game is played with a standard 52 plastic card deck and normally played by 4 players. Three players are possible but the gameplay is not as fun as four players.The cards rank from two lowest to Ace highest. There are two special cards, Queen of spades and two of clubs, called Speto. They are worth double if in hand.
At first game, have each player draw a card from the deck to select a dealer, The player who gets the highest card is the dealer and has the right to select a seat. The lower hand seated to the dealer' s right, the lowest to the dealer's left.
The next game, the knocker is the dealer, if the stock pile run out, the player next to the last player, the player who draws the last card, is the dealer and if the fool discard happened, the knocker and the fool thrower must switch their seats before dealing.
The dealer shuffles, the player to the dealer's right cuts the deck and the dealer deals the cards face down, starting with the dealer, one at a time, counterclockwise, 7 cards each (9 cards for three players). Places the remainder of the deck face down as the stock pile, then turns the next card from the deck face up, this is called the Head card or the upcard, beside the stock pile to begin the discard pile.
Play
The players look at and sort their cards. The dealer plays first, He may either takes one card from the stock pile or picks up the Head card and discards one card on the discard pile to end the turn.
The player to the dealer's right plays the same by taking a card from the stock or from the discard pile and ends the turn with one card discarded. The turn to play rotates around the table counterclockwise from player to player.
The objective of game is to meld cards into sets or runs and get rid of all unmatched cards by laying off. The player who first completes all hands with one card remaining to discard face down, this is called knock, makes the game end. He is a winner and gets the knock value and other values of gameplay from all losers.
If a player draws the last card from the stock and the next player cannot knock by taking the cards from the discard, the game ends. Each player scores the value of the cards remaining in hand. The player who gets the highest score is a winner. The losers must pay the values of gameplay to the winner according to the level of losing points: lose less, lose medium and lose more. For example in the Zian level of gameplay 100 - 200 - 300, the loser who gets the highest points is arranged to lose less or 100 points, the loser who gets the lower points is arranged to lose medium or 200 points and the lowest point loser is arranged to lose more or 300 points.
Agree the level of gameplay
Before playing, the players must agree the level of gameplay. The values of gameplay are at the rate of losing medium. If playing in the Zian level of 100 - 200 - 300, each value of the gameplay is 200 points, for example, the Head, Speto, Dummy, knock value, are worth 200 points each. Holding Speto is worth 2 times. It means Speto value multiplied by 2 or 200 x 2 is 400 points. Gaining or losing the game values is as designated by knock dummy rules.
Supposing each player has 10,000 points in the Zian level of 100 - 200 - 300 gameplay. One player takes the Head, he will get 200 points from all. The Head value is paid only once. If he discards the fool card to the right hand or called the fool thrower, he must pay round the fool 200 points to all and pay double or 400 points to the knocker. If he holds the Speto and cannot knock, he must pay round the Speto hold 400 points to all the players. ♥♦♣♠
Discard
Discard the fool card, the thrower must pay double the fool value to the knocker and pay round the fool value to the other two players.
Discard the card close to the Head , the close thrower must pay the Head value to the player who can pick up the Head within a turn for all hands. For example 4 ♠ is the Head, a player discards 4♥ close to the Head, the next player has 4♣ and can pick up the Head. The close discarder pays 200 x 3 = 600 poins for all hands to the picker- 200 is the Head value.
Discard the Speto defensive card, the thrower must pay the Speto value to the player who can pick up the
Speto defensive card and put down the Speto meld within a turn for all hands and if the Speto defensive card is the fool card the thrower must pay round the fool and the Speto hold value for all hands to the knocker. For example a player discards Q♥ which is the Speto defensive card, the next player holds the Speto Q♠ and Q ♦ waiting the Speto defensive card for knock..The fool discarder pays round the Speto hold for all the players 400 x 3 = 1,200 to the knocker, 400 is the Speto hold value, pays round the fool value 200 for all hands and pays double the fool value 400 to the knocker.
Discard the Speto defensive card close to the Speto or discard the Speto close to the Speto defensive card, the thrower must pay the Speto to the player who can pick up the Speto within a turn for all hands and must pay not only the Speto but also the Head value if the discard close to the Head. For example a player discards Q ♠ close to Q♦ which is the Head Speto defensive card,the opposite player holds Q ♣ and can pick up the Head Speto. The close discarder pays the Head Speto value for all the players 400 x 3 = 1,200 to the picker.
Discard a card to form a full meld or discard a dummy card, the thrower must pay the full meld or dummy value to all the players or he does not need to pay the full meld or dummy if no players call out that discard within a turn.
Collect
Place one or two cards face up to take the cards from the discard pile for melds, every cards above the card picked must be taken. For example, the cards on the discard pile are 3♥ 8♠ 10♦ K♠ A ♣ 2♦ 5♥ a player wanting to take the King♠ would also be required to take A ♣ 2♦ and 5♥ as well.
Do not collect the Speto defensive card to make Speto become the dummy except putting down the Speto or knocking. For example you cannot collect a run of 3 4 5♣ even though 3♣ is the Head card but if the Speto 2♣ has already been put down you can collect it.
When the stock pile is used up, the player next to the last player cannot collect the cards if he does not knock.
Put down
In dark gameplay, the player cannot put down a full meld. He must pick up the card from the discard pile first to make a full meld and put down only the meld collected.
In light gameplay, the player can either put down a full meld or lay off a card without further dummy added, or called putting down dead melds or laying off dead dummy, at his turn.
In case of the stock pile remaining more than 3 cards before discarding, if a player puts down a meld or lays off a card with further dummy added or called a live meld or a live dummy and there is another player add dummy and knock, the live dummy layer must pay the total value to a knocker. For example a player lays off live dummy 9♣ to 10♣ J♣ Q♣ and the right hand can add 8♣ then knock, the live dummy layer must pay the levels of losing points 100 + 200 + 300 = 600 plus the knock value 200 x 3 = 600 the total payment is 1,200 to a knocker.
In case of the stock pile remaining less than 3 cards before discarding, the player can put down a full meld to beat an opponent without paying the total value to a knocker.
A player gets the Speto value when he puts down the Speto meld or lay off 2♣ 3♣ or J♠ Q♠.
Knock
Dark knock with seven dummy cards is not allowed. At least one full meld is required.
If the player discards the fool card, the knocker must knock from the fool thrower, not from linking with other melds.
Hold Speto
Any players who hold Speto, two of clubs, or queen of spades, cannot knock. They must pay round the Speto double to all the players.
Knock with Speto melds, Speto dummy, or Speto face down in hand, the knocker gets double the Speto hold value.
Knock with Speto pick up, the knocker gets the Speto value, not double.
Score
The cards have point values as follows:
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 5 points each except 2♣ 50 points
10, J, Q, K 10 points each except Q♠ 50 points
A 15 points each
Melds or dummy cards on the table are positive points.
Cards in the hand are negative points. The Speto is worth 50 points each, and only used in counting points after the end of game. Do not get confused with payment of Speto hold value.
Win
The knocker or the player who scores highest point is always the winner. The losers must pay the winner the value of gameplay and the losing points.
To arrange the three levels of losing points if there are no knockers, each player counts the total value of the cards on the table and subtracts the value of the cards in his hand, the second highest points are arranged to lose less, the lower points to lose medium and the lowest points to lose more.
In any game, if both losers have the same negative point value, they must be arranged to lose more or medium, or lose medium or less by drawing one of the black or red card suit. If both winners have the same highest point, they score equal point from other losers, in this case both losers are arranged to lose more and medium.
Dark sleepers, light color sleepers or players who discard the fool cards to the dark knocker are arranged to lose more. If there is one dark sleeper, the fool thrower is arranged to lose medium and if there are two dark sleepers, the thrower is arranged to lose less.♥♦♣♠
Lose
Discard the fool card, the discarder pays the fool double at the rate of losing medium to the light knocker, pays four times to the dark knocker, eight times to the light color knocker and sixteen times to the dark color knocker - eg. 200 x 2 = 400 to the light knocker, 200 x 4 = 800 to the dark knocker.
Discard the fool card, the discarder pays the fool round the table at the rate of losing medium to two players in light knock gameplay, pays double in dark knock, four times in light color knock and eight times in dark color knock - eg. pay round 200 to two players in light knock, 200 x 2 = 400 in dark knock.
Dark knock or dark sleep scores double at the level of losing points, light color knock or light color sleep scores four times, dark color knock or dark color sleep scores eight times.
The face to face negative point value is at the rate of losing more. The dark sleep is face to face the dark knock, the dark sleeper pays four times to the dark knocker, pays eight times to the light color knocker and sixteen times to the dark color knocker - eg. the dark sleeper pays the face to face value 300 x 4 = 1,200 to the dark knocker.
The knock value, All the losers must pay the knock value to the light knocker at the rate of losing medium, pay double to the dark knocker, pay four times to the light color knocker and pay eight times to the dark color knocker.
The total value, the player must pay every values of gameplay for all hands to the knocker as follows:
♠ The player discards the card close to the last card on the discard pile and make the right player who holds two cards pick them up and knock - eg. the last card is 3♠ a player throws 3♥ the right player has 3♣ and one card.
♠ The player discards the card close to the card above the last card on the discard pile and make the right player who holds one card pick them up and knock.- eg. the last card is 5♥ the card above the last card is 8♣ a player throws 7♣ the right player holds one card 9♣ pick and knock.
♠ The player discards the card close to the last card on the discard pile and make the opposite player who holds one card pick them up and knock.
♠ In case of the stock pile remaining more than 4 cards before discarding, the player who puts down a full meld or layoff with further dummy can be added, or called putting down live melds, must pay all the total values of gameplay for all the players to the knocker who adds dummy to the meld or layoff - the total values of gameplay include three levels of losing points, the knock value and other values such as the fool, the Speto hold, the face down dummy knock.
♠ The player who lays off the card to the sequence that can be extended, or called laying off live dummy, must pay all the total values of gameplay for all the players to the knocker who adds dummy to the layoff.
One card discarding can cause the thrower pay three values of gameplay each.They are the dummy, the full meld, and the fool.
If two players break the rules of discarding the card close to Head, or discarding Speto defensive card, both must pay the Head or Speto value for all players to the picker.
Fine
Any players make the following mistakes must be fined as agreed: misdeal, wrong knock and all cards are revealed to all players, unability to make a meld after picking up cards.
Bonus
On the first turn to play, The player who shows two Speto cards - two of clubs and queen of spades - at his turn before drawing or collecting cards gets double the Speto value from all the players - the Speto shower receives 200 x 2 = 400 from each.
Penalty
On the first turn to play, If there is someone can knock before the player who is going to show two Speto cards at his turn, unfortunately, the Speto holder must pay round four times the Speto value to all players - the Speto holder pays 400 x 2 = 800 to each.
More strict rules
Cut the deck before deal.
Face up the top card of the stock pile to make the Head.
Do not show cards to other players.
Do not knock after discard.
Touch the stock pile, must draw a card.
Touch the card on the discard pile, must take it.
Show a card to collect, must collect that meld .
Show a card to discard, must discard that card.
Collect a card once, do not pick another one.
Discard a card once, do not change another one.
Put down a meld or dummy once, do not take it back.
After discard, do not put down any cards.
If you have any problems of Thai knock dummy rules, please feel free to contact Kao Jaab, the president of Dummy Club by E-mail: krujaab@gmail.com