What is good and Bad Hand in rummy rule?

When you are familiar with the popular game of rummy, you must have come across the terms of good hand and a bad hand. An important rummy rule is to find out the type of hand you are dealt, before starting the game. Analysis of the starting hands helps in deciding whether to continue or drop the game. Let us find out the benefits of having a good hand and the ways of dealing with a bad hand. 

Good Hand

A good hand is the most common type of hand in rummy that a player has more chances of getting. Having a pure sequence, along with one or more jokers, is considered to be a good hand. With a good hand, playing the rummy game becomes easy. While a pure sequence turns the game in your favor, having a joker, in addition, can definitely increase your winning chances. When you have a good have, you can put in some real efforts to create another pure sequence in order to complete the objective of rummy. With the use of joker, melding the remaining cards in proper sequences or sets becomes easier. 

Bad Hand

While you may consider the absence of a joker to be challenging, having a bad hand actually puts you in a difficult situation. When you have no pure sequences as well as no jokers, it is said to be a bad hand in rummy. Having all unrelated cards in hand makes it difficult to form the required sets or sequences that are essential for winning. As the rummy rule allows you to drop the game after analysing the starting hand, most players choose this option. But rather than dropping the hand, you can still play and turn the game in your favor.  

Here are some of the best ways to deal with the bad hand in rummy.

  • Understand your Cards

Rather than panicking on getting a bad hand, you can start understanding your cards. Think of different ways and moves that can help in forming the sets or sequences. Studying the cards in your hand carefully can help you win the game of rummy

  • Unhand High-Value Cards

Discarding the cards that have higher value helps in reducing your points. Discarding the high-value cards as soon as possible increases your chances of winning by bringing down the points.

  • Identify Low-Value Cards

While most rummy players have a perception that high-value cards are essential for winning, the low-value cards can also help. Identify your low-value cards as they can also help you form the required sets. You can use the low-value cards to your advantage. 

  • Closely Watch your Opponents

Along with focusing on your cards, keep a close watch on the moves of your opponents. Knowing what cards they pick or drop can give you an idea of the sequence they are trying to form. 

Conclusion

Irrespective of whether you have a good or bad hand in rummy, you can still enhance your chances of a win. With a good understanding of the rummy rule and strategy, winning the game becomes easy.