rummy · Nepal, India, Bhutan (South Asia)

Marriage (21-Card Rummy)

Also known as Marriage · 21-Card Rummy · 21 Patti Rummy · Nepali Marriage · Indian Marriage · Taas (Nepal)

Marriage, also called 21-Card Rummy, is a beloved three-deck rummy game from Nepal, India, and Bhutan, played for fun at festivals like Dashain and Tihar and online year-round. Each player gets 21 cards and races to build pure sequences, tunnelas, and triplets while collecting valuable maal jokers (tiplu, poplu, and jhiplu). Play Marriage online free with friends or bots on our social card portal, no real money and no downloads.

Coming soon — learn the rules below

2–5 players · free to play online

How to play Marriage (21-Card Rummy)

Join a table for 2 to 5 players; three 52-card decks (156 cards) are shuffled and each player is dealt 21 cards.
If you hold three identical cards (a tunnela), expose them at once to bank their points.
In phase one no jokers are allowed: build three pure combinations (pure sequences or tunnelas) using natural cards only.
Be the first to lay three pure combinations to earn the right to pick the tiplu and reveal the jokers (poplu, jhiplu, ordinary jokers) for everyone.
On each turn, draw from the stock or discard pile, then discard one card; remember you cannot pick a joker from the discard until you have seen the tiplu.
Hoard maal cards (tiplu, poplu, jhiplu) and aim for a marriage (jhiplu-tiplu-poplu) since maal scores points even if you do not go out.
Go out by laying three pure combinations plus four more valid sets and discarding your last card, or by collecting eight dublees; then settle scores to see who won the deal.

Marriage (21-Card Rummy) rules

Objective

Marriage is a points-and-show rummy. Your goal is to arrange all 21 of your cards into seven valid three-card combinations and be the first to lay them down and discard your final card. But unlike most rummy games, simply going out is only part of the game: the real prize is collecting maal, the high-value joker cards (tiplu, poplu, and jhiplu). Even a player who does not go out can win the deal by holding more maal points than everyone else. So you play on two fronts at once, forming your hand AND hoarding jokers.

The deck and the deal

Marriage uses three standard 52-card decks shuffled together: 156 cards in all, so there are three copies of every card. From 2 to 5 people can play. The dealer gives each player 21 cards, turns the next card face up to start the discard pile, and places the rest face down as the stock. If you are dealt three identical cards (a tunnela, e.g. three 7 of spades), you may expose them immediately on the table to bank their points later. Ace ranks both low (A-2-3) and high (Q-K-A), but you cannot wrap around K-A-2.

The jokers: tiplu, poplu, jhiplu and maal

There are no printed jokers in Marriage; the wild cards are chosen each deal. The tiplu is a card pulled at random from the middle of the stock, but only AFTER a player has earned the right to see it (see below). Once revealed, four families of jokers exist: the tiplu itself; the poplu, the card one rank ABOVE the tiplu in the same suit; the jhiplu, the card one rank BELOW the tiplu in the same suit; and ordinary jokers, any card of the tiplu's rank in the other three suits. The tiplu, poplu, and jhiplu together are called maal (or mal) and are worth points just by sitting in your hand. Ordinary jokers act as wild substitutes in dirty sequences and triplets.

Valid combinations

Every combination in Marriage is exactly three cards. Pure sequence: three consecutive same-suit cards with no joker (e.g. 4-5-6 of hearts). Tunnela: three truly identical cards (same rank AND suit, e.g. three 9 of clubs). Triplet (trail/trio): three cards of the same rank in different suits (e.g. K of spades, K of hearts, K of clubs). Dirty sequence: two suited cards plus a joker completing the run (e.g. 6-joker-8 of hearts). Dirty triplet: two same-rank cards plus a joker. Marriage: the supreme combination, a pure run of jhiplu-tiplu-poplu (the three maal cards in sequence). Note: two identical cards plus a joker is NOT a valid tunnela.

How to play: seeing the tiplu and unfolding

Marriage has two phases. In phase one, before anyone sees the tiplu, you cannot use any jokers. You must first build three pure combinations (pure sequences and/or tunnelas) using only natural cards. The first player to lay down three such combinations earns the right to pick the tiplu from the stock, revealing the jokers for everyone. Other players unlock joker use only once they too lay down three pure combinations. On your turn you draw the top stock card or the discard, then discard one. You may not pick up a joker from the discard pile until you have seen the tiplu, and you cannot immediately re-discard a card you just took.

Going out and winning the deal

To go out (make a show), you must hold three laid pure combinations PLUS four more valid three-card combinations (jokers now allowed), then lay everything and discard your 21st card. A second path exists: collect eight dublees (identical pairs, no jokers allowed) and lay them down to end play. Going out ends the deal, but the winner of the deal is decided by scoring, the player who has accumulated the most maal and lowest penalty often wins even without making the show.

Scoring and settlement

Maal in hand scores: poplu/jhiplu = 2 (5 for a pair, 10 for three), tiplu = 3 (7 for a pair), and a marriage = 10 points (30 if doubled). A tunnela of ordinary cards laid at the start = 5; a tunnela of ordinary jokers = 10; poplu/jhiplu tunnela = 20. Each card counts toward only one item. The player who goes out also collects 3 points from every opponent who saw the tiplu and 10 points from every opponent who did NOT, plus an extra 5 each if they finished on eight dublees, then the difference in card scores is settled. A common shortcut: with n players, total score T, and your score S, you pay the winner T + w - (n x S), where w is 3 or 10; a negative figure means the winner pays you.

Variants and regional notes

Scoring and house rules vary by region. Some Indian and online versions add extra wild cards such as the Alter (same rank and color as the tiplu, worth more) and Putali jokers. Some tables allow only pure sequences (not tunnelas) to qualify for seeing the tiplu, or require a minimum number of marriages. Play direction is usually anti-clockwise in Nepal. Stakes-based home games settle in cash, but our portal is purely social, free, no real money, so you enjoy the full Marriage experience risk-free.

Strategy tips

Prioritize three pure combinations early; until you see the tiplu you cannot use any jokers, so getting there first lets you grab the tiplu and lock in the joker advantage.
Never discard maal cards (tiplu, poplu, jhiplu) carelessly, they score points in hand and a marriage alone is worth 10. Even a losing hand full of maal can win the deal.
Hold suited connectors near common ranks so you can pivot a pure sequence into a dirty one once jokers unlock.
Watch what opponents pick from the discard pile; a player who suddenly stops taking discards may be one card from going out or chasing eight dublees.
Balance speed and value: rushing to go out with little maal can still lose to a slower player sitting on tiplus and a marriage, so weigh the 3/10-point payout against your joker stash.

Variants

Classic Nepali Marriage (Dashain/Tihar style) · Indian Marriage with Alter and Putali jokers · Pure-sequence-only qualification (no tunnela to see tiplu) · Eight-dublee dash variant · Stakes/points home game (we play social, no real money)

Marriage (21-Card Rummy) — frequently asked questions

How do you play Marriage (21-card rummy)?

Each player gets 21 cards from three shuffled decks. You first build three pure combinations (pure sequences or tunnelas) with no jokers; the first to do so picks the tiplu, revealing the wild cards. You then form seven three-card combinations total and discard your last card to go out, while collecting valuable maal jokers (tiplu, poplu, jhiplu) that score points on their own.

What are tiplu, poplu, and jhiplu in Marriage?

They are the maal joker cards. The tiplu is drawn at random each deal; the poplu is the card one rank above the tiplu in the same suit, and the jhiplu is one rank below in the same suit. All three are worth points in hand, and laying them as a sequence (jhiplu-tiplu-poplu) forms a marriage, the game's most valuable combination.

What is a marriage in the card game?

A marriage is a pure sequence of the three maal cards: jhiplu, tiplu, and poplu in order. It is the highest-value combination in the game, worth 10 points (30 if doubled), and the namesake of the game.

How many decks and cards does Marriage use?

Marriage uses three standard 52-card decks shuffled together, 156 cards in total, meaning there are three copies of every card. Two to five people can play, and each is dealt 21 cards.

How do you win at Marriage?

You go out by laying three pure combinations plus four more valid three-card sets and discarding your last card, or by collecting eight dublees. But the deal winner is decided by scoring: maal points, going-out bonuses (3 points from players who saw the tiplu, 10 from those who did not), and card-score differences. A player rich in maal can win even without going out first.

Can I play Marriage online for free?

Yes. You can play Marriage (21-card rummy) online free on our social card portal against friends or bots, with no real money and no download required. It is purely for fun and practice.

What is the difference between Marriage and regular rummy?

Regular 13-card rummy uses one or two decks and printed jokers, and you win mainly by going out. Marriage uses three decks, deals 21 cards, and creates its own jokers (tiplu, poplu, jhiplu) each deal. Crucially, hoarding maal scores points by itself, so you can win a deal without being first to go out.