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Terminology

Posted by Admin in About
 
 
Term Description
Aces High An ACE is the highest rank in the deck. i.e. Q;K;A is the highest permissible run. In some variations of the game, A;2;3, is not allowed, therefore the lowest permitted sequence would be 2;3;4.
Aces Low (Opposite to Aces High) An ACE carries the lowest rank i.e. 1. Therefore, In some variations of the game, the hand A;2;3 is allowed and Q,K,A is not permitted.
Add On A card that is discarded deliberately by a player which will allow an opponent to utilise this card to form a meld.
Angling This is the strategy of discarding a specific card in the hope that it will lure another player to discard a card that is identical rank or suit in sequence away .A.K.A ‘advertising’, ‘baiting’, ‘chumming’, ‘fishing’, ’side baiting’, ’side fishing’.
Baiting See ‘Angling’.
Base Four natural cards of the identical rank. (Canasta).
Base Count The sum of players’ bonuses, as determined by the point value of the total melded cards. (Canasta).
Basic Contract See ‘Contract’.
Basic Count See ‘Base’.
Blind Discard The discarding of a card without knowing whether an opponent can use it, generally the first discard of a Deal.
Blitz See ‘Shutout’.
Block Holding a card back intentionally to prevent an opponent from being able to create or extend a meld.
Bonus Box The point score for a winning hand, typically 25 points. (Gin).
Borrowing Cards from an existing meld that are taken to create a new set. (Gin Rummy; Rummy).
Box Score sheet entry (Gin Rummy).
Box Score Total score when winning a deal (Gin Rummy).
Boxes Extra 25 points awarded for a knock, gin, gin-off, or roodles.
Buy In The qualifying amount of money required to take part in a game, tournament or competition. Typically there is a minimum and / or maximum amount.
Canasta The melding of seven cards of identical rank. (Canasta).
Combination Two cards of identical rank or 2 consecutive cards of identical suit.
Concealed Hand A player who goes out in a single turn without forming any melds. (Canasta, Oklahoma Gin).
Contract The number and type of pre-determined sets or runs a player must meld on a certain deal (Contract Rummy).
Count The point value awarded for a hand after subtracting total melded cards.
Cut The process of splitting the deck into two after shuffling. The bottom part of the deck is placed on top resulting in a random card being on top and therefore ensuring fairness for all players.
Dead Cards Once a card has been played i.e. discarded or been melded and is no longer available to be used in play.
Deadwood Cards that cannot be melded or matched.
Deadwood Count Total value of unusable cards (deadwood) when a hand is completed.
Deal Process of distributing cards to players.
Dealer The designated person who deals the cards.
Deck The set of playing cards used to play the game. A standard single deck of playing cards consists of 52 cards plus 2 jokers.
Deuce A number 2 card of any suit.
Discard Releasing an unwanted card onto the discard pile by a player during his turn. By discarding, it indicates you have completed your turn.
Discard Pile Stack of released cards next to the Stock that have been discarded by players.
Draw The taking of a card during a turn from either the stock or discard pile.
End of Hand Varies according to the flavour of Rummy being played but typically means the stock pile has run out or the hand is over due to a player having no more cards in their hand.
Exposed Card A card that is purposefully exposed to a partner.
Face Card A card that has a face on it i.e. Jacks, Queens and Kings.
Fill A card that when added to a combination makes a set.
Foot The bottom section of the stock pile.
Forcing A discard which the next player is forced to pick up (Conquian).
Foreign Card A card that does not belong to the deck currently in play.
Frozen A condition where the initial discard pile contains a red three or any wild card. The pack remains frozen for all players until the freezing card is eliminated by legally being picked up.
Game The continuous playing of hands until a player or team has reached the target number of points.
Gin Hand When a player has all melded cards and no deadwood.
Gin Off When a player Lays off all his cards to the other player’s knock, leaving no cards in hand.
Go Down When a player places all his remaining cards face up on the table and therefore concluding play sometimes referred to Knock or Knocking.
Go Gin Knocking with all melds in a hand and no deadwood remaining. (Gin Rummy).
Go Out Getting rid of the very last card in a hand.
Go Rummy See ‘Go Gin’.
Going To The Wall A tie / stand-off.
Group A meld comprising of three or more cards of identical rank.
Hand The cards held by a player during a round and played with until a Gin / Rummy / Knock.
Head The upper section of the stock pile.
House Rules Variations to the game rules from official game rules typically established before commencing play.
Illegal Hand A hand that contains more or less than 10 cards after discarding (Gin Rummy).
Initial Meld The first meld by a player or team player in a hand that meet the specified criteria (Canasta, Contract Rummy).
Knave A “Jack”.
Knock Final move by a player of tapping on the table in order to let the table know he intends to come down and therefore concluding the hand.
Knocking Count Maximum count of deadwood, usually 10 points, that a player may knock with.
Lay Off When a player melds his deadwood with a knockers hand after the knock. The player cannot lay off if the knocker has gone gin. (Gin Rummy).
Line Score See “Box Score”.
Matched Card A card which forms part of a set.
Matched Set Three or more cards that can be melded together.
Meld Three or more matching cards that are of the same rank or are of the same suit, in a sequence.
Natural Card Any card other than a wild card.
No Brainer A hand that can be knocked on the deal or after one play.
Partnership Safe Count The point value required by the partnership during a hand that will ensure a win.
Picture Card See “Face Card”.
Prize Pile A discard pile that is frozen (Canasta).
Rank The hierarchy of cards as per their face value (the ace value depends on whether “aces-high” or “aces-low” is being played as well as suit from (high to low – Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs).
Red Three Relevant to Canasta – A 3 of diamonds, 3 of hearts, 3 of Spades, 3 of Clubs. Red 3’s are worth 100 points each; points double if all four are melded in one hand.
Re-deal The cards are dealt again after a player nullifies the game.
Reducer A low card that is picked up by a player in order to lower the count value in their hand.
Round The Corner When an Ace is allowed to be included in sequence with a King and 2 i.e. K;A;2 and typically when Aces high are in play.
Rummy A player completes his turn by coming down in the first round with no deadwood remaining. A player earns bonus points by performing Rummy, typically double points.(Rummy).
Run A set of 3 or more cards in a consecutive number sequence of identical suit.
Safe Card A card that when discarded is possibly un-useable by an opponent if taken up.
Safe Count The point score that needs to be retained in a hand in order to prevent or reduce the odds of an opponent winning the game.
Salesman A card that is strategically discarded in the hope that an opponent will discard a card that you want.
Schneid Winning a game where the losing opponent scores zero points and therefore entitles you to double points.
Sequence See “Run”.
Set Three or more cards of the identical rank and different suit.
Shuffle Process of randomizing the cards before cutting and dealing to ensure fair opportunity for all players.
Shutout A game won where one of the opponents scores no points.
Side baiting See “Baiting”.
Side fishing See “Baiting”.
Skunk Slang term for a “Shutout”.
Speculate Taking up an opponent’s discard which produces a combination instead of a meld.
Spread Melded set of cards.
Stock Pile The stack of cards that are left over after the initial deal and placed faced down in the playing box. Players draw from the Stock pile.
Stop Card A black 3 or any wild card that prevents the next player from taking from the discard pile. (Canasta).
Suit Each value card can be either a heart, spade, diamond or club.
Target Score The target score / point value determined prior to the deal which marks a winner of the game. The target score varies for each variation of rummy.
Three Hand Meld A hand made up of three melds.
Tr’e A 3 of any suit.
Triplet 3 Cards of identical value but different suit.
Undercut An attempt to reduce the deadwood in your hand to the same value or less than the knocker’s.
Under knock Attempting to have or having a lower count total than that of the opponent who has gone out or is attempting to knock.
Unload Attempt to discard as many high value cards as possible or meld them before an opponent knocks therefore reducing the deadwood count.
Unmatched Cards See “Deadwood”.
Up Card The top card of the stock pile which is facing down.
Wild Card A card designated at the beginning of a game of any suit or rank that can be used similar to a joker in that it can substitute as any card to complete a meld. Jokers if included are automatically wild. Depending on the game variation a wild card may or may not be used in a lay off. (Kalooki, Rummy).

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