Michigan Rummy: How to Play, Game Rules, and Winning Strategies
Michigan Rummy is a board game played with a deck of cards, chips, and a game board. Contested between two and nine players, it combines simple gameplay with additional features, making it a great option for game nights.
What is Michigan Rummy?
As with many card games, there are various ways to play Michigan Rummy. Typically, the name refers to a variant of Rummy 500, like Gin Rummy (a game we included in our classic and modern card games for two people) or a board game.
As we’ve already covered how to play Rummy 500, we’ll cover the board game variant here.
Quick Michigan Rummy Directions
Before we take a closer look at the Michigan Rummy rules, here’s a quick overview to get you started:
- Begin with the Michigan Rummy board (which includes nine sections for chips) and between two and nine players.
- Choose a dealer. They deal all of the cards one at a time, including to themselves and an extra “dummy hand.”
- Players can bid to use the dummy hand instead of the one they were dealt, or the dealer can use it.
- Play starts with a five-card poker hand. The winner claims the chips in the poker pot.
- The dealer chooses a suit and plays the lowest card in that suit.
- Play proceeds with players placing the next consecutive card until they can’t continue; at this point, they play a low card from another suit.
- Pay Card pots go to the players who laid down those specific cards.
- The main pot goes to the player who uses all their cards first.
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How to Play the Michigan Rummy Card Game
The Michigan Rummy board game is very different from Rummy card games, so you won’t be well equipped just by knowing Gin Rummy rules or reading through our how to play Rummy card game guide. It is fairly simple, so read these Michigan Rummy rules to learn what you need to know.
The Michigan Rummy Board and Setup
The Michigan Rummy board includes nine pots, eight of which run around the circumference of the circular board, with one in the middle. Players place chips inside these pots and use cards to play the game.
You can buy a Michigan Rummy mat from many game shops. They’ll include everything you need, including some Michigan Rummy directions for playing the game. You can also just create your own, grab some poker chips or coins, and follow these simple rules:
The Deal
Michigan Rummy is played between two and nine players. The game begins by assigning a dealer and placing chips in the pots. The dealer adds two chips to each pot while the players each add one.
The dealer then hands out cards to each player, including two hands for themselves. There are no fixed numbers here—the cards are dealt until none are left.
The Play
The dealer chooses one of the hands before them and can switch to the dummy hand if they determine that the first hand isn’t good enough. They can’t look at the dummy hand first, though.
Players can also bid for the dummy hand.
Poker
Before the game commences, players show their best five-card poker hands, with the winner taking the chips in the poker section (one of the nine pots).
Players simply choose five cards from their hand and then bet or raise as they normally would in a poker game, with the money going into the poker pot.
Michigan Rummy
The dealer plays the lowest hand of any suit that they choose. The next player follows this with the next consecutive card in that suit, and play continues until no one can play (the dummy hand means the next card isn’t always in play).
Pay Cards and the Winning Pot
Several pots on the Michigan Rummy board include Pay Cards, such as the King of Clubs. Once these cards are played, the players collect the respective pot.
The main pot—in the center—goes to the player who empties their hand first.
Is Michigan Rummy a good game?
Yes, definitely. One of the best things about this game is when you’ve played a few hands, the chips have been dished out, and multiple players have their eyes on those Pay Cards and main pots—that’s when the competition kicks in.
Summary: The Michigan Rummy Card Game
Michigan Rummy is an excellent game for large groups of people because it blends poker with a simple card game and uses multiple pots.
If you’re looking for alternatives with a similar vibe, try the Three Card Rummy game by Nucleus or our card games guide.
More Games Common Queries
How to play Michigan Rummy?
One variant combines Gin Rummy rules with a scoring system whereby the winner must reach 500 points. For the card game mentioned above, you need two to nine players. It combines a five-card poker hand with a simple game whereby players lay down consecutive cards, trying to play those all-important Pay Cards.
Is Michigan Rummy the same as Royal Rummy?
It is very similar in using chips and adding a poker game to the mix. It’s also often sold as a board game and contains all the peripherals needed.
How many people for Michigan Rummy?
The board game variation can be played with between two and nine players. The more players you have, the better, as it creates extra competition. Everyone vies for the different pots and will build varying chip stacks throughout the game.
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