The player with the highest card becomes the first dealer. Before gameplay can begin, every player must draw a card from a shuffled deck.
To set up a game of Shanghai Rummy, players need to form a circle around a stable playing area. The objective of Shanghai Rummy is to be the first player to go out and to have the fewest points. In Shanghai, Aces are either high or low depending on what the player wants it to be.
It requires two decks of standard playing cards, including Jokers, and is suitable for ages 12 and up. Shanghai is a rummy type game with specific entry melds for two to four players.