How to play 101 Okey: in short
101 Okey is played with 106 tiles, and players aim to form melds (groups and runs) from the tiles on their racks to lay down on the table. For a normal opening, the melds you lay down on the same turn must total at least 101. Once you have opened, you can add tiles to melds already on the table. Every turn ends by discarding a tile. At the end of the game, the player with the lowest total score wins.
How are tiles dealt in 101 Okey?
A set of 106 tiles is used in 101 Okey. The player to the dealer's right receives 22 tiles, and the other players receive 21 tiles each.
The player with 22 tiles begins play by discarding a tile from their rack without drawing first. Play then continues in turn, with each player drawing a tile and discarding one.
As in classic Okey, the Okey (wild tile) is determined by the indicator tile. The Okey is the next number up in the same colour as the indicator tile; if the indicator tile is a 13, the Okey is the 1 of that colour.
How is 101 calculated? What is the rule of 34?
To open with melds in 101 Okey, the tiles you lay down on the table on the same turn must have a combined value of at least 101. Numbered tiles are worth their face value, while an Okey takes the value of the tile it stands in for.
A quick way to work this out is the rule of 34: add together the middle numbers of your three-tile melds. If that sum is at least 34, your three-tile melds are worth at least 102 in total.
In a 7-8-9 run, the middle tile is 8. In a 10-11-12 run, the middle tile is 11. In a three-tile group of the same number, the middle value is the number shared by the group.
In four-tile melds, add the fourth tile's value on top of the three-tile count.
Middle numbers: 8 + 11 + 11 + 5 = 35. Total value: 105, which opens.
How do you open with pairs in 101 Okey?
To open with pairs in 101 Okey, a player must lay down at least five pairs from their rack on the same turn. The sum of the numbers on the pairs does not matter. A player who opens with pairs cannot open with melds later.
What does adding a tile mean in 101 Okey?
Adding a tile means extending a meld already on the table with a matching tile after you have opened. You must lay down your own opening melds first. Every turn ends with discarding a tile from your rack.
How do you take a discarded tile in 101 Okey?
You may only take the previous player's discarded tile from the table if you use it immediately in a meld on that same turn.
How do you finish a round in 101 Okey, and how are penalties calculated?
How a round is scored depends on how the player who finishes opened, and on whether they finished with Okey as their final discard. Negative figures are deducted from the finishing player's score; the other figures are penalty points added to the respective players.
| Type of finish | Finisher | Opened with melds | Opened with pairs | Did not open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal finish with melds | -101 | Remaining ×1 | Remaining ×2 | 202 |
| Meld finish with Okey | -202 | Remaining ×2 | Remaining ×4 | 404 |
| Normal finish with pairs | -202 | Remaining ×2 | Remaining ×4 | 404 |
| Pair finish with Okey | -404 | Remaining ×4 | Remaining ×8 | 404 |
Remaining is the total face value of the tiles left on a player's rack. Each Okey left on the rack counts as 101 penalty points. You can keep score and track opening totals on the 101 Okey score sheet.
What extra penalties apply in 101 Okey?
Certain mistakes also carry a penalty of 101 penalty points:
- Discarding an Okey tile.
- Discarding a tile that could be added to a meld on the table; the final tile discarded to finish the round is exempt from this rule.
- Laying down tiles without reaching a total of 101 and then taking them back.
When does a game of 101 Okey end?
The game ends once the agreed number of rounds has been played. Common lengths are 3, 5, 7, 9 or 11 rounds. At the end of the game, the player with the lowest total score wins.
If the draw pile runs out during a round and nobody can finish the round, no normal scores are recorded for that round. Only players with an Okey tile left on their rack receive 101 penalty points for each Okey. Rules may vary from table to table.
Frequently asked questions
How many tiles are dealt in 101 Okey?
The player to the dealer's right is dealt 22 tiles, and everyone else gets 21. The player with 22 tiles starts by discarding a tile without drawing.
Can you open with 34 in 101 Okey?
If the middle numbers of your three-tile melds add up to at least 34, the melds total at least 102 and meet the opening threshold. In four-tile melds, the value of the extra tile is counted as well.
How many pairs do you need to open in 101 Okey?
To open with pairs, you must lay down at least five pairs on the same turn. The number values on the pairs do not affect the opening requirement.
What is the penalty for not opening in 101 Okey?
On a normal finish with melds, a player who has not opened takes 202 penalty points. For all other finishes, an unopened player takes a 404-point penalty.
What happens when the draw pile runs out in 101 Okey?
If the draw pile runs out and nobody finishes the round, no normal scores are recorded. Players left with an Okey on their rack take 101 penalty points for each Okey tile.