Kentucky rules

Rules for the card game Kentucky. Kentucky is very similar to gin rummy. Hopefully nothing has been omitted.

There are 10 tricks in all. Choose one of the following; either the typical or more difficult. For the first time, use the typical set.

Trick Typical tricks More difficult
1 2 sets of 3, no wild 3 sets of 3, no wild

2 1 set of 3, 1 run of 4, no wild 1 set of 3, 1 run of 4, no wild

3 2 runs of 4, 1 wild each 2 runs of 4, 1 wild each

4 3 sets of 3, no wild 4 sets of 3, no wild

5 2 sets of 3, 1 run of 5, 2 wild 2 sets of 3, 1 run of 5, 2 wild

6 1 set of 3, 1 run of 7, 1 wild 1 set of 3, 1 run of 7, 1 wild

7 3 runs of 4, 1 wild each 3 runs of 4, 1 wild each

8 1 set of 3, 1 run of 10, 3 wild 1 set of 3, 1 run of 10, 3 wild

9 2 sets of 3, 1 run of 5, 2 wild 3 sets of 3, 1 run of 5, 3 wild

10 3 runs of 5, 2 wild each 3 runs of 5, 2 wild each

number of decks 2 decks - 5 ppl / 3 decks - 6 ppl 2 decks - 4 ppl / 3 decks - 5 ppl

All cards of the decks are used, including the 2 jokers from each deck.
Aces are always high (2 - 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace).
A set is 3 cards of the same value; 3 2s, 3 queens, 3 Aces, etc.
A run is some number, as indicated for the trick, of sequential cards of the same suit. For example, a run of 4 might be 9, 10, Jack, and Queen of diamonds or Jack, Queen, King, Ace of clubs, etc.
Jokers are the ONLY wild cards.
Though still in the deck, wild cards (Jokers) can only be used in a meld for tricks that specifically indicate so, never more wild cards than indicated, may only be used in the way indicated, and may not be played on their player's melds (see the section on melding).
For example, trick 1 does not permit any wild cards, trick 3 permits 1 wild card in each of the 2 runs but not more than 1 in either, while trick 5 allows 2 wild cards to be used unsed in any manner.
A player can not add a set or run to their meld. That is, if the tricks is 2 sets of 3, the player can not add an additional set or run of their own, but could add the equivalent of another set onto another player's meld (see the section on melding).
Once a player melds, wild cards can not be added to their meld. They must be discarded.
Wild cards may not be picked up from the discard pile by any player.
There must be at least 3 players, but at least 4 makes for a better game. Use the correct number of decks as indicated above.

The deal:

Choose who will deal first in whatever fashion you like.
All decks are shuffled together as one.
Each player receives 11 cards dealt to the left (clockwise) one card at a time. The player to the left of the dealer receives the first card.
The remaining cards of the decks are placed face down in the center of of the table. No card is contributed to the discard pile.
The tricks are played in sequence beginning with 1. All players are playing the same trick and only one at a time. ie: trick one is played until it is over, cards are dealt and trick 2 begins.
The player to the left of the dealer plays first (allowing the dealer to collect their wits before discarding).
Play continues until a player has no cards in their hand or face down cards (those left in the deck after the deal) are exhausted.
The deal always proceeds to the left. That is, the player to the left of the dealer will deal next.

After the deal, play proceeds as follows. The object is to collect the cards to complete the current trick (eg: 2 sets of 3), meld, and finally have zero cards left by adding to your meld.

The player to the left of the dealer draws the top card from the the face-down deck or the top card from the discard pile. The player who has melded may not draw from the discard pile.
Once a card is drawn, no cards on the discard pile may be played, not even the top one. The player may not change their mind and draw it and it is not eligible for may I's or Kentucky (see below).
Wild cards may never be drawn from the discard pile.
After the player has drawn, they may meld or add to their meld. This is the only time that a player may do so, except that a player calling Kentucky always adds the Kentucky card to their meld immediately.
The player then discards a single card to the top of the discard pile and play proceeds to the left. This card may be drawn by the player to the left and is eligible for may I and Kentucky.

This repeats until a player manages to be left with zero cards in their hands or there are no more face down cards and thus the trick is over. That player 'going out' (having zero cards left in their hand) must discard. That is, the trick can not end without a discard. All players count their cards and add it to their total (see scoring below) and the next trick begins with a new deal.

Those are the basics. This flow of play is only disrupted thusly:

A player calls out 'May I?'
In the course of collecting cards to complete the sets and/or runs of the trick, a needed card may be discarded by another player. If another player wishes, they may call out 'may I?' before the next player (the one to the left of the player who discarded) draws.
The player who is about to draw may decide to draw the discarded card or allow the card to be taken, but that player can not deny the may I and draw from the face down deck and a player who has already melded may not draw from the discard pile.
The player taking the card as a may I, also draws a penalty card from the top of the face down deck before the player whose turn it is draws. The player may I-ing does not discard.
Once a player melds, they may not may I. Any card that may normally have been a May I should now be Kentucky.
Only 3 may I's per-player are allowed per-trick. So, starting with a 11 cards from the deal, a player may have a maximum of many as 17 cards in their hand.
Note that some of the tricks require may I's in order to have enough cards to meld.
Perhaps to describe this more clearly; consider 3 players, Alpha who discards an Ace on top of a Jack, Beta who is seated to the left of Alpha and thus plays next, and Charlie, who has not yet melded, hollers 'May I?' before Beta draws in hopes of picking up the discarded Ace.
If Beta has melded, the Ace belongs to Charlie. Otherwise, if Beta wants it, Beta draws it as in normal play and Charlie does nothing and receives nothing.
If Beta doesnt want it, it belongs to Charlie. Charlie draws the Ace and a penalty card from the top of the face-down pile. Charlie DOES NOT discard and now has 2 cards in addition to the to the 11 dealt originally and now has one less 'may I' to excersize during the current trick. Then Beta draws from the face-down pile. Beta can not draw a card, the Jack for example, from the discard pile.
If Beta had drawn before Charlie had said may I, then Charlie is SOL (Shit Out of Luck).
'Kentucky' is called.
'Kentucky' is an error in play, like an 'error' is called in baseball. It is when a player discards a card that can be played on an existing meld (see the section on melding below).
For example, if a player discarded a Queen of clubs and there was a meld(s) (that of any player) containing a run of 8, 9, 10, and Jack of clubs but lacking a Queen, a set of Queens, or both then this is 'Kentucky'. It is an error, because the player should have played the card in their meld.
The first player to call out 'Kentucky' removes the card from discard pile and adds it to their meld. A player can not call Kentucky on their own discard - it is too late.
Note that a player can get into a situation where they are forced to discard a card that is Kentucky to avoid having to discard another card necessary for their own meld.

Should a card be Kentucky and a player wishes to may I for it, the first to utter Kentucky or May I receives the card. But, once the next player draws, the card on top of the discard pile is dead - no longer valid for play at all.

Melding:

A player can only meld or add to their meld during their turn and must draw before hand.

To meld, a player must have all the cards necessary to complete the trick. That is, if it were the second trick, the player must have a set of 3 and a run of 4 in order to meld.

After the player has drawn, the cards completing the trick are layed out on the table such that the other players can see them and grouped into the appropriate sets and/or runs. Finally, the player discards.

After a player has melded and during their turn, they may then add cards to other player's melds next to their own (ie: in front of them) and the points will be theirs.

As play continues, the player who has melded may draw other cards that can be added to their or other player's melds. This is how a player can end-up with zero cards in their hand (ie: 'go out'). It also happens to be where things can get confusing since cards added to other melds in front of the player and so on...everyone has to keep track of where things are added.

A player may not add cards to their meld out of turn, except for Kentucky cards.

To explain melding on another player's meld further, consider 3 players Alpha, Beta, and Charlie who have all melded their set of 3 and run of 4 during the second trick.

Assume that Alpha has a set of 2s and 10 through King of clubs, Beta has a set of 3s and 3 through 6 of hearts, and Charlie has a set of Aces and 8 through Jack of hearts.

Now suppose that Charlie draws a 2 of hearts. Charlie may add this in one of two places; either to Beta's run or to Alpha's set of 2s. If Charlie chooses to place it on Beta's run, he places the card in front him (Charlie) with his meld and tells the other players where it goes. Another player can not add another 2 of hearts here, but the set of 2s is still open.

Now Beta draws a 7 of hearts. Beta could add this to her own 3 through 6 run or to Charlie's 8 through Jack run. But, Beta happens to have another 6 of hearts in her hand, so she chooses to place the six and seven on Charlie's run (ie: she get points to two cards). If Charlie had a five of hearts, he might play this on Beta's six and seven on his run when it was his turn again, but neither he nor any other player could place another seven of hearts on Charlie's run.

And so on. Notice how this can get complicated.

Scoring:

Once a trick is done, each player sums the cards in their meld and left in their hand, if any. Those left in the hand are negative points. The card values are in the table below.

For example, suppose Alpha has (positive) 30 points from previous tricks and beta 'goes out' (has zero cards), leaving Alpha with a set of 3 Queens and run of 4 consisting of 8, 9, 10, Jack in his meld and a Joker, an Ace, 5, 8, 10, and a 2 in his hand. Alpha's score would be 30 (3 Queens) + 30 (run of 4) minus 50 + 20 + 25 (Joker + Ace + misc.) = -35 for the trick and -5 in total.

After all tricks are played, the one with the highest score wins.

card points

2 - 9 5

10, Jack, Queen, King 10

Ace 20

Wild (Joker) 50

card	points
2 - 9	5
10, Jack, Queen, King	10
Ace	20
Wild (Joker)	50

Definitions:

Meld To declare a score in a card game. What this refers to is the display of your cards for the trick to the other players. For example, a player may display 2 sets of 3 of a kind for trick 1.

Trick A single deal of the cards. That is, from time the cards are dealt until they are dealt again. Also called a hand (in poker anyway). It also refers to a set of cards assembled for scoring in a round of a card game, as in 2 sets of 3 of a kind in trick 1.

Hoyle's probably has a better and/or more accurate dictionary of these generic terms. Corrections welcome.

Trick	Typical tricks	More difficult
1	2 sets of 3, no wild	3 sets of 3, no wild
2	1 set of 3, 1 run of 4, no wild	1 set of 3, 1 run of 4, no wild
3	2 runs of 4, 1 wild each	2 runs of 4, 1 wild each
4	3 sets of 3, no wild	4 sets of 3, no wild
5	2 sets of 3, 1 run of 5, 2 wild	2 sets of 3, 1 run of 5, 2 wild
6	1 set of 3, 1 run of 7, 1 wild	1 set of 3, 1 run of 7, 1 wild
7	3 runs of 4, 1 wild each	3 runs of 4, 1 wild each
8	1 set of 3, 1 run of 10, 3 wild	1 set of 3, 1 run of 10, 3 wild
9	2 sets of 3, 1 run of 5, 2 wild	3 sets of 3, 1 run of 5, 3 wild
10	3 runs of 5, 2 wild each	3 runs of 5, 2 wild each

number of decks	2 decks - 5 ppl / 3 decks - 6 ppl	2 decks - 4 ppl / 3 decks - 5 ppl

Meld	To declare a score in a card game. What this refers to is the display of your cards for the trick to the other players. For example, a player may display 2 sets of 3 of a kind for trick 1.
Trick	A single deal of the cards. That is, from time the cards are dealt until they are dealt again. Also called a hand (in poker anyway). It also refers to a set of cards assembled for scoring in a round of a card game, as in 2 sets of 3 of a kind in trick 1.