How to keep score in Shanghai rummy
Shanghai rummy is played over ten hands, with 11 cards dealt every time and a harder contract each hand. Buys are limited, so choose them well. When someone goes out, everyone else scores the cards left in their hand, and after ten hands the lowest total wins.
- Players
- 3 to 8, best with 4 or 5
- Who wins
- Lowest total after ten hands
- Cards
- Two decks with jokers, 11 cards each hand
- Buys
- 3 a hand, 4 in the last two hands
Keep score for Shanghai rummy on your iPhone or iPad. Tallynight is free, with no ads.
Get TallynightWhat the cards left in your hand cost
The player who goes out scores 0. Everyone else adds up the cards still in their hand. Every number card is worth the same 5, which makes the count quick.
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| 2 to 9 | 5 |
| 10, jack, queen, king | 10 |
| Ace | 15 |
| Joker | 25 |
| Going out | 0 |
Jokers vary the most between tables, anywhere from 20 to 50, and some families also play 2s as wild and count them 20. Agree before the first deal.
The ten contracts
A set is three or more cards of the same rank and a run is cards in a row in one suit. You lay the whole contract down on one turn before you can add to anyone's melds.
- Hand 1: two sets of 3
- Hand 2: a set of 3 and a run of 4
- Hand 3: two runs of 4
- Hand 4: three sets of 3
- Hand 5: a set of 3 and a run of 7
- Hand 6: two sets of 3 and a run of 5
- Hand 7: three runs of 4
- Hand 8: a set of 3 and a run of 10
- Hand 9: three sets of 3 and a run of 5
- Hand 10: three runs of 5
The last three contracts need 13 to 15 cards, more than the 11 you're dealt, so buying becomes part of the plan. Many tables also limit jokers: one in a set of 3 or a run of 4, two in a run of 5, three in a run of 7 and four in a run of 10.
Buying
When the player whose turn it is passes on the top discard, another player can buy it. You take the discard and one extra card from the stock as a penalty, then wait for your turn to play. If several players want it, the one nearest in turn order gets it.
Each player can buy three times a hand in hands 1 to 8, and four times in hands 9 and 10. Once you've laid down your contract, you can't buy any more. Some tables make the penalty two cards from the stock, not one.
How Shanghai differs from Liverpool rummy
Both are contract rummy: a set contract each hand, buying out of turn, and the lowest total wins. Liverpool rummy is seven hands, with 10 or 12 cards dealt and buys that are often unlimited. Shanghai is ten hands with 11 cards every time, longer runs in the later contracts, a limit on buys, and every number card worth 5.
Some families play Shanghai with Liverpool's seven contracts and 11 cards each. Some also play the Shanghai call: discard a card that fits a meld on the table, and another player can call Shanghai, play it on the meld, and make you draw a card, unseen, from their hand.
Going out and adding up
The hand ends when someone plays their last card. At many tables you have to go out by playing every card, with no discard. Write 0 for that player, and everyone else's hand under their name. Keep a running total, and after hand 10 the lowest total wins.
- Going out blind, a house rule: lay down your whole hand in one turn, with nothing melded before, and take 25 off your score, or 50 if you used no jokers.
- A tie for the lowest: some tables play one more hand with the hardest contract to settle it.
A scoring example
Four players, the full ten hands. Every score is a multiple of 5, because every card is.
| Hand | Ana | Ben | Cleo | Dev |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Two sets | 0 | 25 | 40 | 15 |
| 2 · Set, run of 4 | 30 | 0 | 20 | 55 |
| 3 · Two runs | 45 | 60 | 0 | 25 |
| 4 · Three sets | 20 | 35 | 50 | 0 |
| 5 · Set, run of 7 | 0 | 85 | 40 | 65 |
| 6 · Two sets, run of 5 | 70 | 0 | 95 | 30 |
| 7 · Three runs | 55 | 40 | 0 | 110 |
| 8 · Set, run of 10 | 120 | 0 | 75 | 90 |
| 9 · Three sets, run of 5 | 0 | 105 | 60 | 140 |
| 10 · Three runs of 5 | 85 | 130 | 0 | 150 |
| Total | 425 | 480 | 380 | 680 |
In hand 10, Cleo went out and Ben was caught with two jokers (50), three aces (45), two kings (20) and three number cards (15): 130 points. Cleo wins with 380, the lowest total.
Keep score for Shanghai rummy in Tallynight
Shanghai rummy isn't one of Tallynight's built-in games yet, but it takes a minute to set up. Choose Something else and call it Shanghai rummy. Under How you score, pick Rounds, where everyone scores each round, and under Who wins, pick Lowest. Leave Play to a target off, because the game is ten hands.
Tap the star to Add to favourites so it's ready next time, then Start game. After each hand, type everyone's points on one keypad, with 0 for whoever went out. Tallynight doesn't know the contracts, the buys or the card values, so count each hand as usual, and tap End game after the tenth.
- Everyone's points for the hand on one keypad, with a minus key for going out blind
- The running totals, with the lowest in front
- Tap any hand to fix a miscount
- A race chart that replays all ten hands
A Shanghai rummy score sheet to print
Playing on paper tonight? Print a free Shanghai rummy score sheet, or save it as a PDF.
Questions
What are the 10 hands in Shanghai rummy?
Two sets of 3. A set and a run of 4. Two runs of 4. Three sets. A set and a run of 7. Two sets and a run of 5. Three runs of 4. A set and a run of 10. Three sets and a run of 5. Three runs of 5.
How many buys do you get in Shanghai rummy?
Three a hand in hands 1 to 8, and four in hands 9 and 10. Each buy takes the discard plus one card from the stock as a penalty.
How much is a joker worth in Shanghai rummy?
25 at most tables if it's left in your hand, but it varies from 20 to 50. Aces are 15, 10s and picture cards 10, and every other card 5.
What's the difference between Shanghai and Liverpool rummy?
Shanghai is ten hands with 11 cards each, longer runs and a limit of three buys a hand. Liverpool is seven hands with 10 or 12 cards, and number cards count face value.
How do you win Shanghai rummy?
Have the lowest total after ten hands. Going out scores 0 for the hand, and everyone else scores the cards they're still holding.
What does calling Shanghai mean?
In some versions, if a player discards a card that fits a meld on the table, another player can call Shanghai, play it, and make the discarder draw a card from their hand.