Swami Directory

From the many types of rummy, probably the most free is manipulation Rummy. As the name suggests, manipulation rummy is about manipulating. What else could be manipulated, than the melds already on table. The freedome comes from the possibility to change a set that was melded. The player can put cards to and take cards from sets, in order to create better sets. Of course, better sets mean more points.

Because winning rummy is about making as much points as possible, manipulation rummy needs a lot of thinking. Probably there is no perfect manipulation rummy strategy, but there are some things that are good to know when playing this type.

First of all, there is a chance to confuse other players. For example we can meld a set that values few points. In reality, we have the cards for the better set, but we do not want to show that set until we know for sure that we can win. The other players will probably come out with their highest potential set, so we can figure out who has the best cards. After the first round or the second, we can also some out with the better set. Following this thinking, we can manipulate the other players, if we meld always the lower ranking set. Leaving the best hand to the end is working however only if other players do not finish before we can meld that hand.

If we want to meld always what we can, that means players will always know how much points we have. The only thing they will not know is the cards in our hands and the possible other sets we will be able to meld in the following rounds.

Manipulating melded cards needs a lot of thinking. We have to create a set that values more. Creating the most valuable set sometimes destroyes an existing set that may be good. This means that we have to recount the points we have everytime we manipulate the cards. The best method to keep ourselves calm and clear is to expand the sets without taking cards from them.

Expanding a set is easy nad it is best if we can expand it on the higher end. This will result in more points and we will not have to destroy an existing set. This strategy is easy and adviced for starters. For those, who can use their mathematics well, destroying sets could eman better chances.

Sometimes if a set is destroyed, one or even more sets can be made with only adding one card. More sets mean more points. For example if we have nine cards in a row and we get the tenth in that row, we can split this row into to sets. This way we will have two rows that can be expanded at both sides. Two sets mean more points than one and they offer more chances, too.

Anyhow, we have to mention luck, too. With the wrong cards we will never reach a high score, so manipulation rummy still depends on luck.