How to Play 101

Tiles

101 is played with the same 106 tiles as okey. There are 13 numbers across 4 colors (yellow, blue, black, red), and every tile exists twice. That makes 104 numbered tiles. The remaining 2 are special tiles called fake okey.

Distribution

Each player receives 21 tiles at the start of a round. The starting player gets 22 and begins the round by discarding one tile. The starting position shifts to the right (counter-clockwise) each round.

Indicator Tile

Before tiles are dealt, one random tile is drawn from the pile and placed face up. This is the indicator tile. It determines which tile becomes the okey for that round.

If a fake okey is drawn as the indicator, it is set aside and another tile is selected instead.

Okey Tiles

The okey is the tile one number higher than the indicator in the same color. For example, if the indicator is red 5, the okey is red 6. If the indicator is 13, the okey wraps around to 1.

Okey tiles work as jokers. They can substitute for any tile when forming valid groups. This makes them the most valuable tiles in the game.

Fake Okey Tiles

The 2 tiles with the special symbol are called fake okey. They share the same number and color as the okey tile, but they cannot be used as jokers. A fake okey can only be used as a regular tile in groups or doubles, representing its own face value.

Valid Groups (Pers)

A valid group is called a per. Every per needs at least 3 tiles. There are two types:

• Sets: Same number in different colors. No repeated colors allowed. For example, red 7, blue 7, black 7.
• Runs: Consecutive numbers in the same color. For example, yellow 4, 5, 6, 7.

Important difference from okey: In 101, the sequence 12-13-1 is not valid. Runs cannot wrap around from 13 to 1.

Drawing Tiles

On each turn, a player either draws the next tile from the pile or takes the last tile discarded by the previous player. However, taking the discarded tile comes with a condition: the player must open their hand that turn.

If a player cannot open, they cannot take the discard. They may test the discarded tile on their rack to check, and return it without penalty if they cannot open.

Opening Your Hand

Opening means laying down valid pers from your rack onto the table for the first time. The total value of all tiles in those pers must be at least 101 points. This is where the game gets its name.

If another player has already opened, the next player's opening must exceed the previous opening value. For example, if the first player opened with 120 points, the next player must open with at least 121.

Alternatively, a player can open with doubles. The minimum requirement is 5 pairs. If a previous player opened with 6 pairs, the next player must open with at least 7.

Opening with Doubles

A player can open by laying down at least 5 pairs of identical tiles instead of pers. Doubles and pers cannot be mixed in the same opening.

There is a special rule for the indicator tile: before drawing any tile at the very start of the round, a player can declare that they hold the indicator tile by placing it on the indicator in the middle. This lets them use it as an okey for doubles. Once placed, this tile cannot be taken back.

If a player opened with doubles, they cannot open new pers from their remaining tiles. However, they can commit tiles to other players' opened pers on the table.

Committing Tiles

After a player has opened, they can add tiles from their rack to any existing pers on the table, whether those pers belong to them or another player. This is called committing.

A maximum of 3 tiles can be committed to a single per in one turn. For example, if there is a run of 4-5-6 on the table, a player can add 7 and 8 in one turn, but not 9. The 9 can be added on the next turn.

If a player opens with pers and immediately forms additional pers from their remaining tiles in the same turn, it counts as one opening, not separate commits. For example, opening with 4-5-6 and then adding 7-8 in the same turn counts as opening with 4-5-6-7-8 (scored as 4+5+6+7+8=30).

Retrieving Okey from the Table

If an opened per on the table contains an okey tile and a player holds the real tile it represents, they can replace the okey and take it. The retrieved okey can be used immediately or saved for later.

For sets: All 4 colors of that number must be completed before the okey can be retrieved. For example, if a set has yellow 12, blue 12 and an okey standing in for a missing color, the player must add both red 12 and black 12. Adding only one is not enough.

The player who originally opened that per with the okey receives 101 penalty points.

Ending the Game

The game ends when a player empties their rack completely (finishing) or when no tiles remain in the pile. A player finishes by opening, committing or a combination of both until no tiles are left on their rack.

If nobody opens during the entire round, it is an empty round. No penalties or rewards are given.

Direct Finish

If nobody has opened yet and a player opens fully and finishes immediately by emptying their entire rack in a single move, all other players receive 404 penalty points.

If the last tile played in a direct finish is an okey, the penalty doubles to 808 points for all other players.

Competitive Opening Threshold (Katlamalı)

In the standard variant of 101, the opening threshold increases competitively. Once a player has opened, the next player must beat that opening value to open their own hand. This creates a strategic dynamic where opening early with a low value can lock out opponents, while waiting for a higher opening gives more flexibility.

okey.gg implements the katlamalı (competitive threshold) scoring mode, which is the most widely played variant.