Rummy is played with 2-4 players and uses a full deck (including jokers). One or two decks can be selected in settings. If two decks are selected, they are shuffled together into 108 randomly-ordered cards.

A dealer is selected (randomly in the first round, and then cycling to the left), and the deck is shuffled and dealt one at a time until each player has received 7 cards (or 10 if a 2-player game is selected). Afterward, the next card is turned face up to start the Discard Pile and the remainder of the deck is placed face-down beside it to form the Stock Pile. 

After the cards are dealt, the game starts with the player to the dealer’s left. Turns proceed clockwise.