A Brief History Of The Rummy Game

What Does WIKIPEDIA say?

According to Wikipedia Indian rummy is an extension of gin rummy and 500 rum, which originated from the United States. But there are several varied facts about the origin and history of the rummy card game. How many of us have an idea about the evolution of this amazing game?

So, let’s go back further and find where this game was invented, and the exact place of origin are as follows: -

CONQUIAN Origin –

Rummy evolved from a game called “Conquian”, which itself originated in either Spain or Mexico. It’s believed to be invented by the Spanish and brought to America by Spanish immigrants. According to the theory, this was the very first example of rummy and all other forms effectively originated from it. It’s believed to have spread throughout America during the 19th century before reaching England, where it was given the name “Rummy”.

Conquian is played by two or more players with Spanish playing cards or a 40-card pack including A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, J, Q and K and the rest of the cards stacked face down on the table. The aim is to be the first to get rid of the cards, including the last one drawn. The total number of cards shown must add up to nine.

Each player is dealt nine cards. A player wins the game by melding a total of ten cards. They may be melded by grouping at least three of a kind or by a straight flush sequence (three to ten cards from the sequence A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, J, Q, K, A. Thus, A-2-3 and 6-7-J are valid sequences.

ASIAN Origin –

There existed a card game known as ‘Mahjong’ in China almost a thousand years ago. It was played with the same pick and drop style as rummy. This fact forms the basis of the assertion that rummy has its origin in China. In the nineteenth century, the same game came to be known by other names such as ‘Khanhoo’ and ‘Kon Khin’. The Chinese loved to play it. Hence, there is a possibility that the game of Rummy may have originated in Asia and subsequently reached India.

One theory speculates that rummy evolved from the Japanese game ‘Hanafuda’, which was developed by the Portuguese people who traveled to Japan.

POKER Origin –

The second theory is that Rummy evolved from a form of poker known as Whiskey Poker. It was stated that Whiskey Poker was very similar to the game of Rummy that we know today; it was subsequently known as Rum Poker and then eventually Rummy.

INDIAN RUMMY –

It wouldn’t be an untruth if we said that rummy means Indian rummy in India. People cannot imagine any other card game except the Indian Rummy.

However, being stooped in doubt and misconceptions like based on the chance the game had very limited growth for several decades. But in the last one-decade things have changed for good.

Indian Rummy is a variant of the rummy game, which is popular in India, that involves making valid sets out of the 13 cards that are dealt with each player at the table. If the number of players is 2, then a 52-card deck is used, but if there are 6 players, two decks of 52 cards each are combined. Each player must draw and discard cards on their turns until one of the players melds all their cards into valid sets fulfilling the objective of the game.

Likewise, there are so many theories which gives their own versions of how the game was invented. But it is yet to be established with clear cut proof as to which country reserves the copyright of it.