| Kalooki | |
| Image Caption: | A set of threes in the game Kalooki |
| Family: | Matching |
| Alt Names: | Kaluki |
| Players: | 3–8 |
| Play: | Clockwise |
| Num Cards: | 2–4 packs plus jokers |
| Origin: | Jamaica |
| Playing Time: | 2–6 hours |
| Random Chance: | Medium |
| Skills: | Strategy |
Kalooki or Kaluki is a card game popularly played in Jamaica,.[1] [2] [3] It is sometimes called Jamaican Rummy for similarities in structure the game bears with Contract Rummy or Gin Rummy. The games are, however, different and not to be confused.
These are the rules for the original Kalooki game created, refined, and taught by flight attendants of Air Jamaica in the 1970s and 80s. There are a few variations of the game described in books and on the internet. A similar game is sometimes referred to as "Kalooki 40".[4]
There are usually three to eight players; tournaments are played with four players at each table. Two or more packs of cards are used, depending on the number of players.
| No. of Players | No. of Packs | No. of Jokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 2 | 4-6 | |
| 5-6 | 3 | 8 | |
| 7-8 | 4 | 10 |
The object of the game is to go out by laying down all of the player's cards. The point values of the cards left in a player's hand when someone goes out are:
| Card | Points | |
|---|---|---|
| Joker | 50 | |
| Black Ace | 15 | |
| King, Queen, Jack | 10 | |
| 2 to 10 | face value | |
| Red Ace | 1 |
A "3" is a set of three or more cards of the same rank, such as 5-5-5 or K-K-K-K-K. The suits of the cards do not matter and duplicates are allowed.
A "4" is a run of four or more consecutive cards in the same suit, such as spade7-spade8-spade9-spade10-spadeJ. Aces can be high or low, regardless of their point value, but they cannot be in the middle of a run, so A-2-3-4 and J-Q-K-A are valid, but Q-K-A-2-3 is not.
When more than one "4" is put down by one player, they must be of different suits, and when more than one "3" is put down by one player, they must be of different ranks. In games where three sets of "4" are required a full suit can be used to substitute.
Jokers can be used as wild cards to substitute for any card with the restriction that they are not allowed to 'kiss'. This rule can be further explained as follows:
Jokers cannot be removed from their set. However, when a joker is used in a "4" it can be moved up, in that set, by the holder of the real card that it represents (see tacking below), provided that two jokers do not end up side by side. Once a joker moves as far up in a set as it can go it can no longer move. A player may not add jokers to sets laid by other players. They may only place jokers on their own sets.
Players take turns to deal the cards. Nine hands (deals) make up a game, and the winner is the player who has the lowest cumulative score at the end of the game. The cards are dealt out one at a time. The number of cards dealt to each player depends on the hand being played as shown in the table below. After all players have been dealt their cards, the next card is turned face up to start the discards pile, and the remaining undealt cards are stacked face down beside it to form the stock.
In each hand, there is a contract or quota of 3s and 4s that a player must lay down:
| Hand No. | Cards dealt | Contract | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | 3, 3, 3 | |
| 2 | 10 | 3, 3, 4 | |
| 3 | 11 | 3, 4, 4 | |
| 4 | 12 | 4, 4, 4 | |
| 5 | 12 | 3, 3, 3, 3 | |
| 6 | 13 | 3, 3, 3, 4 | |
| 7 | 14 | 3, 3, 4, 4 (colloquially called "half and half") | |
| 8 | 15 | 3, 4, 4, 4 | |
| 9 | 16 | 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Some players deal 12 cards each in the first three hands, rather than 9, 10 and 11. In some circles hands 1–4 are referred to as the Kalooki game while hands 5–9 are referred to as Super Kalooki. Most people play Kalooki as hands 1–9.
Baby Kalooki hands and contracts are:
| Hand No. | Cards dealt | Contract | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 3, 3 | |
| 2 | 7 | 3, 4 | |
| 3 | 8 | 4, 4 |
Some players deal 8 cards for each hand of Baby Kalooki. This is a quick easy format for teaching the game.
The player to the dealer's left begins and the turn to play passes clockwise. A player's turn consists of:
If a player has not yet laid down any cards and wants to take a card discarded by another player when it is not their turn to play next, they can call the card by saying (or shouting) "CALL". Each player is allowed 3 calls per contract. The player whose turn it is to play has two options:
Calling is subject to the following rules:
The first cards a player lays down must satisfy the contract for the game being played. There is no point requirement as in some other versions of Rummy. The player places these cards face up in front of them, where they stay for the rest of the hand. If there are other sets on the table they may tack on cards as appropriate (see tacking below) and then discard as usual.
A player who has laid down is no longer allowed to take cards from the discard pile. When a player has laid down they can no longer call for a discard, and in their turn they must draw from the stock. If another player calls in that turn, the first player must allow the call, unless they have already cleared the stock with their pluck, in which case the discarded card is dead.
If a player lays downs all their cards and comes out without any other player coming down, that is called “down and out” and all players have to double their points in that contract
After laying down the contracted sets, the player is allowed to lay down additional appropriate cards to any of the sets laid on the table, in the same turn, or in later turns of the same hand. This is called tacking on or laying off. Further cards of the same rank can be tacked onto a "3". A "4" can be extended by tacking on the next higher or lower card in sequence. When the suit is complete no further tacking is possible.
Jokers can only be tacked on a player's own laid sets.
No player may tack cards until they have laid their contract.
Jokers cannot be discarded, but apart from that there is no restriction on what card may be discarded from a hand at the end of a player's turn. It is legal to discard a card that could be tacked onto a set on the table, and it is legal to discard the same card that the player just picked up, if they find it is in their interest to do so.
It sometimes happens that the entire stock is used up before any player has gone out. If this happens, the discard pile, except for its top card, is reshuffled and placed face down to form a new stock. Play continues as before. If the stock runs out a second time, which may happen if players are holding back the key cards needed by others to lay down their contracts, the play ends with no score. All the cards are thrown in, shuffled and dealt again by the same dealer and the play is restarted (playing for the same contract).
As soon as a player goes out by getting rid of all their cards, the hand ends. The other players count the total value of the cards they have in their hands (see above) and add the result to their cumulative point total.
If the first player laying manages to go out on the same turn that they first lay down cards, this is known as down and out or bending the table, and the other players score double points for that game, known as being doubled up.
At the end of nine hands, the player who has the lowest cumulative score is the winner.
It sometimes happens that a player will carelessly, or calculatingly, call more than three times in one hand. This can be verified by counting the cards that the player is holding. Another player may challenge this over-caller before the over-caller begins their play to lay their cards. If over-calling is discovered, the player is given 50 points for each over-call. If the challenger is wrong they receive a 50-point penalty. Once a player has begun to lay their cards they cannot be challenged for an over-call.
If a player lays incorrectly and is discovered before play passes to the next player, they are required to pick up the hand and take a 50-point penalty, unless they are able to rearrange the hand successfully to complete the contract. If an incorrect lay is discovered after play has already passed to the next player it remains.
If a player fails to begin their play with a pluck or end their play with a discard, including when laying their hand, there is a 50-point penalty.
Other usual infractions which may incur 50-point penalties (according to house rules):
If the dealer of a hand can successfully cut exactly the correct number of cards to be dealt for that hand, they receive a bonus of -50 points.