Rummy

Gin Rummy is the most popular of all the two handed “draw and discard” games. Like the game itself, people kibitz about gin, the game’s strategy and its origin. The game’s birth has been traced to three possible foundations.

One theory is that gin rummy can be traced to rules of a game with certain similarities in a game rule book published in the early 1000’s. This explanation links the game to the Chinese game, named Kon Khin, which was played with two Chinese decks of tiles consisting of 31 tiles each. The purpose was to build melds and reduce the value of unmatched cards in a player’s hand.

Another game believed to have roots to Gin Rummy was described in the 1864 edition of The American Hoyle as Whiskey Poker. The nomenclature reflects that it was most often played in saloons and the stakes were usually alcoholic beverages. In Whiskey Poker, five cards were dealt circularly to each player. One extra hand was included in the dealing process. This extra hand was called the “Widow”. Beginning with the player to the left of the dealer, each player had a chance to replace their hand with the “Widow” until the hand was claimed. If a player selected the “Widow”, the player would lay his hand face up on the table. This action started the hand and a process of discard and draw ensued. Players tried to create melds or spreads and reduce the value of unmatched cards in their hand.

The most commonly acknowledged inventor of Gin Rummy is Elwood T. Baker of Brooklyn, New York. Mr. Baker, a whist instructor at the renowned Knickerbocker Whist Club in New York, created most of the rules of today’s Gin Rummy in 1908. Baker was the first Rummy player to declare that a player could not claim his melds until that player achieved unmatched cards totaling ten or less. In the early 20th century, most card games were played in saloons and clubs. It has been speculated that as the game is often accompanied by alcoholic beverages, the prefix “Gin” was assigned by Baker’s son to the “draw and discard” Rummy feature. However, most early references to the game refer to it as either Gin Poker or Poker Gin.

Gin Rummy is a simple game using the 52 card deck and pitting two opponents trying to achieve 100 points. Each player receives ten cards with the 21st card being turned face up. Each player has the option of selecting the top card of the stock pile or the top card from the discard pile. After each selection, a player must discard. The object is to accumulate a sequence of three or more cards in one suit, or three or four cards of identical rank. In Gin Rummy, the Ace is always a card of low value. Cards that are not melded are called deadwood. When a player’s deadwood is ten or less, the player can declare a showdown. If the opponent has a lower deadwood tally than the declarer, that opponent is the winner of the hand.

While an uncomplicated game, Gin Rummy combines elements of deception and complexity. These qualities lend themselves well to strategy and wagering. Players learn the basic rules in a few minutes and then spend the rest of their lives perfecting a playing strategy. Over time, several different scoring systems have evolved. The most popular of which is Hollywood scoring, whereby three games are contested at the same time.

Baker’s 1909 game floundered for years before establishing a foothold in the U.S. in the years from 1927 – 1930. During The Great Depression, when fewer and fewer people went out for entertainment, Gin Rummy flourished. The fast paced game properly personified the nervous energy of the era. The game lost some momentum until the 1940’s when it was adopted by Hollywood, Broadway and the radio stars of the day. Many movies in this era featured or referenced Gin Rummy. Entertainers liked the pace and wagering action provided by Gin Rummy. Once the artists were on board, the popularity of Gin Rummy soared and the fad had started.

Gin was easier to learn than Contract Bridge and was conducive to family play. The game lent itself to a game on the train or at tables on or around the set or clubhouse. Part of the appeal of the game is that it could be halted for a period of time. Play could easily be resumed at a later time. Combining the stop and go capabilities of Gin Rummy with the ease of the rules made the game a natural for Hollywood and Broadway.

100 years after Baker developed his rules, the two biggest changes to the game are the new age distribution of the deal. Today, the dealer usually receives ten cards and the opponent receives eleven. The second change is the Hollywood scoring system that allows for three or more games to take place simultaneously. Usually the winner of each game in a Hollywood is the first player to accumulate 200 points. Combining the increased action with the pace of the game makes the game a natural for quick jolts of wagered prowess.

Gin Rummy team partnerships have also become popular. In the team concept, the partnership’s individuals compete against two opposing players. When the resulting scores are added together, the team with the highest point total has won the hand and receives the right to post a score in each open frame of the Hollywood.

In Hollywood Gin Rummy, a player who wins a hand scores his first winning score in the first game of the Hollywood, while the second winning score is entered in both the first and second games and the third winning score is entered into the first, second and third games. Each subsequent score is entered in all three games until a player or team goes out of a game.

Gin Rummy has a certain flow. Spectators observing a Gin Rummy hand are often bewildered by a play or strategy. It is particularly interesting how Gin Rummy players view the same ten cards. Each Gin Rummy hand reveals different strategies and personality traits. Therein lies the charm of Gin Rummy.

Oklahoma Gin is a strategic draw and discard Rummy game of skill that can be contested by 2 – 4 players. The game is similar to Gin Rummy but features different scoring and allows for multiple players to compete amongst themselves rather than in a team competition.

Oklahoma Gin is played with a standard 52 card deck. Aces are always low. Face cards have a rank value of 10. All other cards are ranked according to their numerical value. Suits are all ranked equally.

As in Gin Rummy, a “set” is a meld of three or four cards of identical rank. A “run” is a meld of at least three cards in sequential order and in the same suit. “Deadwood” is the term used to describe the unmatched cards in the player’s hand.

If there are two contestants, each player is dealt 10 cards. If there are more than two players, each player receives 7 cards. The dealer of the first hand is selected randomly. After the first hand, the winner of the previous hand is always the dealer. After the dealer has dealt each player the correct number of cards, the dealer turns one more card and begins the discard pile. This card is known as the “Knock” card and determines the maximum amount a player can knock for in that hand. So, if there are three players and the dealer deals each player seven cards, the 22nd card is turned and becomes the knock card. If that card is 6, any player can knock during the hand when their deadwood total is 6 or less points.

In Oklahoma Gin, there are three ways to win a hand. A player can Gin, knock or win by undercutting the knocker. To Gin, a player must draw a card from either the stock or discard pile, create melds for all cards in the hand and then declare Gin by turning the discard face down on the table. There are no unmatched cards in a Gin hand. The player then lays the melds face up on the table. When a player goes Gin, no other player can reduce their deadwood by laying off cards on the Gin hand or any other hand. The players then lay their melds down and total their deadwood.

When a player goes Gin, that player receives 25 points. The defeated players receive negative values equal to the amount of their deadwood. These scores are recorded on the score sheet. If a player is left with a queen, ace, two when another player goes Gin, that player’s deadwood total is 13 and his score for the hand is -13.

A player who decides to Knock is known as the Knocker. The player must draw a card from either the stock or discard pile and declare his intention to Knock by turning down one card and laying his melds face up on the table and his deadwood face up on the table. As described, the deadwood must be equal to or lower than the rank value of the first card turned by the dealer. Once a player Knocks, other players show their melds. These players can play cards from their deadwood to the Knocker’s original melds.

When a player knocks, that player receives a bonus of 10 points. The other players receive a negative score equal to the total of their deadwood less the amount of the knock.

The third way to win a hand of Oklahoma Gin is by “undercutting” the Knocker. When a player Knocks, he has declared a knock value equal to the total of his deadwood. If another player has a deadwood total equal to or lower than the Knock amount, that player has undercut the Knocker. This amount can be determined after a player has played off on the Knocker’s melds. The player who undercuts the Knocker receives a bonus of 20 points. Other players receive a negative score equal to the amount of the difference between their deadwood total and the amount of the undercut.

Game limits are set in advance but typically a game ends when a player scores 100 points. In some versions of Oklahoma Gin, the bonus amounts for Gin and the Undercut may vary. Players should make sure they understand all the table stakes and values prior to play.

Oklahoma Gin is a popular game with great strategy. Unlike Gin Rummy, Oklahoma Gin focuses on what the player wins rather than on what the player may lose. Watch out for the undercuts in Oklahoma Gin!

Kalooki 51 Rummy is a unique draw and discard game that has just enough quirky qualities to make it a refreshing break from other Rummy games. Kalooki 51 is usually played with no leas than two players and not more than 4. One of the quirky rules is that Jokers are used as wild cards. These treasured cards greatly influence the play of then hand.

In Kalooki, two 54 card decks are used so there are four Jokers in the game. Each player receives 13 cards. The next card is turned face up to initiate the discard pile. The remaining cards are placed face down on the table and serve as the stock pile. If the stock pile is exhausted and no player has gone out, the discard pile is shuffled and turned face down to become the stock pile.

After the deal, the creation of the discard pile and the placement of the stock pile, the player to the left of the dealer commences the first turn. In Kalooki, a player’s turn consists of three parts. As the first step, the player must decide to draw a card from the discard pile or to draw from the stock pile. Once drawn, the player must then form sets or runs or add cards to existing melds. Lastly, the player must either go out or discard, which action commences the next player’s turn.

An initial meld may not be declared and placed down unless it has a value of 51 or more. Once a player has laid down their initial meld, the player can add to the meld or any other meld on the table. This action, called building, creates a large meld.

In most variations of Kalooki 51, face cards equal 10 points. Aces carry a value of 11 and all other cards have a value equal to their rank. The Joker assumes its value of the card it represents in a meld, but if unused in a hand has a penalty value of 25.

The Joker adds flexibility and diversity to Kalooki. When used by a player in a meld, the joker assumes the value of the card it represents. If a player goes out and another player is holding the Joker, the assessed penalty value is 25 points. Proper management of the Joker is a key element of Kalooki.

If a player uses the Joker in a set, an opposing player can claim the Joker by inserting the two cards of equal rank for different suits. For example, if a player melds the Joker with the 8 of clubs and the 8 of diamonds, an opposing player can claim the Joker by melding the 8 of hearts and the 8 of spades. Players can also seal the set by melding either the eight of hearts or eight of spades and leaving the Joker. Once this action is completed, the set is closed and the Joker cannot be taken.

If the Joker is used in a run, any player can claim the Joker by installing the card the Joker represents. Only melds containing a Joker can be rearranged. Otherwise, melds placed on the table cannot be re-structured. However, players can add to sets and runs.

The play of the hand ends when a player goes out or goes Kalooki. To go Kalooki, a player must draw from either the stock or discard pile and meld all but one card, which is discarded. The discard ends the hand and the discard may not be used by an opponent. A player may also go out by disposing of all cards in their hand at once.

Unlike other draw and discard rummy games, once the player goes out, opponents may not lay off held cards. The deadwood total is the total of all held cards at the time a player goes out.

When a player goes out, Kalooki scoring is tabulated as follows. If a player is caught with an Ace, the penalty value for each ace is 11. If a player is caught holding a Joker, the penalty value is 25. All other held cards receive their penalty value according to their rank. The value of all opponents’ deadwood is tallied and added to the value of the out player’s melds to determine the score. The first player to reach the designated tally is the winner.