How to play Michigan Rummy

I have included two explanation videos in this post.  Both pretty much identical.  One by each name. 

Growing up we used coins instead of chips.  Pennies, nickles and dimes.  The adults would use quarters as well when it was an adult only night.

Need a board?  Here are both options.  Pick whichever you like the looks of better.  The traditional board is Michigan Rummy which is what we used growing up and in my early 20s.

• Michigan Rummy Board
• Tripoley Mat

If you find it easier to also read; here are the official rules.

Additional Information

Here's a Michigan Rummy Steps Cheat Sheet for quick reference

Setup:

1. Players: 3-8 players.
2. Deck: Standard 52-card deck (or two decks for more players).
3. Chips: Each player gets an equal number of chips.
4. Board/Payout Layout: Common sections include:
   • Ace of Hearts
   • King of Clubs
   • Queen of Diamonds
   • Jack of Spades
   • 10 of Hearts
   • 8-9-10 (Sequence in Any Suit)
   • Kitty (Pot in Center)

Gameplay:

1. Ante Up

• Players place chips into each designated section on the board. (see Standard Ante below)

2. Deal the Cards

• Deal all cards evenly (some players may get more if cards don’t divide evenly).
• Extra cards go to the "Kitty" (center pot).

3. Phase 1: The Poker Round

• Players make a five-card poker hand from their dealt cards.
• Players bet on their hands (if playing with betting rules).
• Best hand wins and collects the poker pot.

4. Phase 2: The Rummy Round

• The player with the left of the dealer starts by playing the lowest card in their suit.
• Play continues in ascending order until a missing card breaks the sequence.
• If a player plays a card matching a payout section (e.g., Ace of Hearts), they collect the chips from that section.
• The turn moves to the player who holds the next lowest card in a different suit.

5. Ending the Round

• Play continues until a player plays all their cards.
• Remaining players must pay the winner a chip per card left in their hands.
• The winner takes the Kitty.

6. New Round

• Shuffle, redeal, and repeat!

Winning the Game:

• Play a set number of rounds or until one player runs out of chips.
• The player with the most chips at the end wins.

Standard Ante (Starting Chips Contribution)

Each player places one chip into each designated section of the board before the game starts.

Example Setup (if using 6 payout sections + the Kitty):

• Ace of Hearts → 1 chip
• King of Clubs → 1 chip
• Queen of Diamonds → 1 chip
• Jack of Spades → 1 chip
• 10 of Hearts → 1 chip
• 8-9-10 Sequence → 1 chip
• Kitty (center pot) → 1 chip

Total per player: 7 chips