game
Tile Rummy online — rules, facts, and a live table
Tile Rummy is shared-table rummy on number tiles. Form sets (same number, different colors) and runs (consecutive numbers, same color). Your first play must total at least 30 points from your own tiles. After that you may manipulate the table as long as every group remains a legal meld.
What you are looking at
Tile Rummy is shared-table rummy on number tiles. Form sets (same number, different colors) and runs (consecutive numbers, same color). Your first play must total at least 30 points from your own tiles. After that you may manipulate the table as long as every group remains a legal meld.
Thick plastic number tiles with engraved faces, four bright colors, and a wooden or bakelite rack. The table is a puzzle of groups you can legally break and rebuild.
Origin
Tile Rummy was designed by Ephraim Hertzano. It is associated with Romania / Israel. Dating: 1940s by Ephraim Hertzano in Romania; commercial Israeli launch in 1977.
Equipment
106 tiles: two copies of 1–13 in four colors (black, red, blue, orange) plus 2 jokers. Four racks.
Players: 2–4. Typical duration: 30–60 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to what people search — for Google, voice, and assistants.
How many tiles are in Rummikub or Tile Rummy?
106 tiles: two of each number 1–13 in four colors (104) plus two jokers. That is the standard number-rack set Tile Rummy uses. Some older boxed editions print four jokers; Tilehaus uses two.
How many tiles do you start with in Tile Rummy?
Fourteen each. The rest of the 106-tile set is the pool. If you cannot play, you draw one tile and your turn ends. You cannot play the tile you just drew until the next turn.
What is the 30-point rule in Rummikub?
Your first play — the initial meld — must come from your own rack and total at least 30 points. You may not manipulate tiles already on the table until that opening is down. A joker counts as the face it stands for, not 30, on that first meld.
How do jokers work in Tile Rummy?
A joker is wild in a set or run. You may replace it later with the exact tile it represents, then you must use that joker immediately in another legal combination. A joker left on your rack when someone goes out costs 30 penalty points.
Can two jokers make a meld by themselves?
No. A meld still needs a legal set or run of at least three tiles. Two jokers cannot sit alone. Tilehaus rejects a play that leaves a joker unused at the end of the turn.
How do you win Tile Rummy?
Empty your rack. The first player to play their last tile wins. Everyone else adds the face values left on their racks; jokers count 30. If the pool is empty and nobody can play, the lowest remaining rack wins.
How many players is Tile Rummy?
Two to four. The 106-tile set and 14-tile racks are built for that range. Tilehaus fills empty seats with bots so a two-player table still has legal opposition.
Is Tile Rummy the same as Rummikub?
They share the 106-tile inventory, 14-tile racks, 30-point opening, and table manipulation. Rummikub® is a trademarked boxed edition. Tilehaus is an independent teaching table named Tile Rummy — same public rules family, not an official product.
Can you play on other people’s tiles before 30 points?
Not under standard Sabra-style rules. The opening 30 must be new groups from your rack. After you are on the board you may split, extend, and rebuild the whole table as long as every group is legal when you pass.
How long does a game of Tile Rummy take?
Usually 20–45 minutes for 2–4 players. Beginners spend more time on the first 30-point meld. Online with a timer or bots, a hand can finish closer to 15 minutes.