Dear Shanghai Rummy Community,

We're sharing some important changes coming to Shanghai Rummy starting February 1st, 2026. We believe in being transparent with our community, so we want to explain not just what's changing, but why.

Goodbye, Ads

First, the good news: we're removing all ads from Shanghai Rummy.

When we introduced ads, we hoped they would help offset the growing server costs that come with running a multiplayer game. Unfortunately, the reality didn't match our expectations. The ad revenue generated was negligible and nowhere near enough to cover even a fraction of our infrastructure costs. Rather than cluttering your gaming experience with ads that weren't serving their purpose, we've decided to remove them entirely.

Changes to the Free Tier

Here's where we need to have an honest conversation. Running Shanghai Rummy costs money—servers, databases, and infrastructure don't pay for themselves. With ads not pulling their weight, we needed to find a sustainable path forward.

Starting February 1st, free players will have a limit of 15 games per month.

We know this might sound concerning at first, but here's some perspective: based on our data, approximately 90% of our players are casual players who enjoy a few games here and there. If that's you, this change likely won't affect you at all. You'll continue playing Shanghai Rummy just as you always have.

For our more dedicated players who find themselves wanting more, our VIP subscription offers unlimited games along with extra features like AutoSort, custom card designs, and bot speed controls.

New Leaderboard System

We’re updating how leaderboard rankings work to keep competition fair, skill-based, and enjoyable for everyone.

How Leaderboard Games Work

Only games you win (by finishing with the lowest score at the table) can count toward the leaderboard. However, every completed game uses one leaderboard-eligible attempt, whether you win or lose — so losses still matter by reducing your remaining chances.

Best 10 Games Count

Each month, your leaderboard position is based on up to 10 wins from a limited number of leaderboard-eligible games. This means strong, consistent play is rewarded, while a few unlucky games won’t automatically ruin your ranking.

Monthly Leaderboard Limits

To keep the playing field level:

• Free players:

  • Your first 15 games each month are leaderboard-eligible
  • Up to 10 wins from those games can count toward the leaderboard

• VIP players:

  • Your first 30 games each month are leaderboard-eligible
  • Up to 10 wins from those games can count toward the leaderboard

Games played after your leaderboard-eligible limit are still available to play for fun, but won’t affect leaderboard rankings.

All game limits and leaderboard eligibility reset at the start of each month.

Ranking Criteria

Players are ranked by:

• Number of wins within their eligible games
• Lowest combined score across those wins (lower is better)

We Appreciate You

We understand that changes like these can be frustrating, and we genuinely appreciate your patience and understanding. Shanghai Rummy exists because of players like you, and our goal has always been to provide the best possible card game experience.

These changes will help us keep the lights on while continuing to develop new features and improvements. We're committed to making Shanghai Rummy better with every update, and your support—whether through playing, providing feedback, or subscribing to VIP—makes that possible.

If you have questions or feedback about these changes, we'd love to hear from you at team@shanghairummy.cards.

Thank you for being part of the Shanghai Rummy community.

See you at the tables!

The Shanghai Rummy Team