Shanghai is a contract rummy game. Below you will find the “Good / Miller House Rules” we use to play Shanghai. These rules are different than what you may find elsewhere on the Internet.
For general information on Rummy see The Rummy Rulebook.
The game is best played by three to six players; the optimum number is four.
Two standard 52 decks with all 4 jokers are used, for a total of 108 cards.
There are seven rounds. The dealer for the first round is chosen randomly and thereafter the turn to deal rotates clockwise. The deal itself is also clockwise, one card at a time. Each players receive 11 cards. The remaining cards are placed face down on the table to form the stock pile, the top card of which is turned face up and placed alongside to start the discard pile.
The object of each round is to play all your cards by a combination of melding, laying off, and discarding. In order to do any melding or laying off, you must begin by fulfilling your contract for the round currently being played.
There are two kind of melds; sets and runs. A set consists of 3 or more cards of the same rank, irrespective of suit. A run consists of 4 or more cards of the same suit, in consecutive order. An ace can count as low or high, but not both. So A 2 3 4 and J Q K A are both valid runs, but Q K A 2 is not valid.
Once it has been melded a set or run can be extended during subsequent play. Thus the maximum number of cards in a set is 8 and the maximum number in a run is 14 (with an Ace at each end).
When a player goes out, by disposing of all their cards, the other players score penalty points for all the cards remaining in their hands. The object of the game is to be the player with the lowest score at the end of the series of seven rounds.
The contracts in each successive round are as the following.
The player to dealer’s left takes the first turn. A turn consists of:
1. The Draw
The player must either draw the top card of the stock pile or take the top card of the discard pile. A player who chooses to draw a card from the stock pile must first give any other player who wishes the opportunity to take the discard (see below).
2. Melding
The player may place sets or runs from hand face up on the table. This can only be done once by each player during each round. When melding, you must lay down exactly the combination of sets or runs which is required by the contract for the round you are in. For example, you cannot lay down one set if you need two, or if you need a run also.
Melding is optional - you are not required to meld as soon as you are able to.
3. Laying Off
Laying off is adding cards to sets or runs which have already been melded - both your own and those melded by other players. You may lay off only if you have already melded, or on the same turn after your meld. There is no limit as to how many cards you may lay off in one turn.
Laying off is optional - you are never obliged to lay off cards if you do not wish to.
4. The Discard
At the end of your turn, you must discard one card from your hand and placed it face up on top of the discard pile (except at the end of round 7 - see below).
Play continues with players taking turns clockwise around the table until one person has played all the cards from their hand.
If the stock pile runs out of cards, remove the top card from the discard pile and shuffle the remaining cards to create a new stock pile. The top card of the old discard pile remains face up to start the new discard pile. Play then continues as before.
After a card is discarded, and prior to the next player drawing from the stock pile, any other player may announce “I Call” and take the top card off the discard pile. If several people call the discard in this manner it goes to the earliest in turn to play after the person who is about to draw from the stock. The player who calls the discard in this way must also draw one penalty card from the stock pile.
Only one call may occur after each discard.
Only when the other players have had the opportunity to call the discard does the person who was about to play draw from the stock and continue their turn.
Each player may only call a maximum of 3 times during each round. An easy way to identify how many times a player has called is for the player to count the cards in their hand. 11 cards - no calls. 13 cards - 1 call. 15 cards - 2 calls. 17 cards - 3 calls. The player may not call again.
Jokers may be used in either sets or runs, to substitute for any missing card.
A Joker used in a set represents any suit that completes the set.
Jokers that have been melded may be taken by any player during their turn by replacing the joker with one card from their hand, and adding another card from their hand that extends the meld.
If a run starts or ends with a joker, the second card extending the meld must surround the joker being replaced. See third and fourth examples below
The joker must be replaced with the card it represents and a second card must be added that extends the meld.
Any joker gained in this manner must be laid off in the current turn - it cannot be saved for play in a later turn.
Examples
Set: 🃙 🂹 🃏
Player has two nines in their hand. On their turn they can take the Joker from the meld by replacing it with the two nines from their hand. The first 9 (any suit) replaces the Joker and the second 9 (any suit) extends the meld.
Run: 🃈 🃉 🃏 🃋
Player has a 10 and Queen of diamonds in their hand. On their turn they can take the joker from the meld by replacing it with the 10 and Queen of diamonds from their hand. The 10♢ replaces the Joker and the Queen♢ extends the meld. Note that a 7♢ could also be used instead of the Queen to extend the meld.
Run: 🃏 🃉 🃊 🃋
Player has the 8 and 9 of diamonds in their hand. On their turn they can take the Joker from the meld by replacing it with the 8 and 9 of diamonds from their hand. The 9♢ replaces the Joker, and the 8♢ extends the meld by surrounding where the Joker was originally in the meld.
Run: 🃉 🃊 🃋 🃏
Player has the Queen and King of diamonds in their hand. On their turn they can take the Joker from the meld by replacing it with the Queen and King of diamonds from their hand. The Queen♢ replaces the Joker, and the King♢ extends the meld by surrounding where the Joker was originally.
A round ends when a player plays all their cards and has no cards remaining in their hand.
In the final round, you must meld all your cards at once. As you have melded all your cards, there is no discard - play ends immediately after the meld.
When someone goes out by getting rid of all their cards, play ends. The player who won the round deducts 10 points from their score (-10) and the other players score penalty points for all the cards remaining in their hands, the cards scoring as follows:
At the end of round 7 the player with the lowest score wins.