History Of Gin Rummy, Origins Of Gin Rummy

Gin Rummy was at one time, the most popular card game in the United States. A New Yorker by the name of Elwood T. Baker is credited with having invented Gin Rummy back in 1909. In those days it was simply called “Gin.” Another historian, however, dates the birth of this card game as far back as the late 1800s. It is often argued that the connection made between rum and gin is owing to the inventors fondness for the alcoholic drinks of their namesakes.

Even today Gin Rummy is an immensely popular game owing to the high skill component of the game when compared to other wagering games such as Poker or Blackjack. Gin Rummy is played with ten cards which are to be formed into melds as left.

Gin Rummy is classified under card games for two although it can be played in partnership with a group of four; the family of two-hand card games includes Pinochle, Cribbage and Piquet – all are ancient card games. The one that demonstrated staying power, however, was Gin Rummy, now played by millions of people. Many of them attribute its popularity to the fact that it “appears” easy to play when in fact it requires a high level cunning and skill. It has been described as a “deceptively simple” card game.

We said earlier that rummy was the marriage between gin and rummy. If you look closer, however, you’ll learn that “Rummy” actually connotes a specific manner of playing with cards. In this case, it is the draw and discard style. When your turn comes, you have to draw one or more cards from the lot. In exchange for the card you take, you put back one card that you least need.

You keep doing this draw and discard exercise until you can form one of two melds:

(1) One meld is when you have three or four cards that are the same in rank – for example 5

or even 2

(2) Another meld is to have three or four cards of the same suit and in sequence – so you can have either 7

, 8

, 9

and 10

or even 2

, 3

, 4

and 5

Given the influence of Contract Bridge, Gin Rummy underwent a series of more sophisticated varieties, one of which is Contract Rummy. This variation stipulates that more cards are handed out at every round (deal), and that you should only choose a specific combination of melds. Note however, that Contract Rummy rules have been modified and groups who play this type of Gin Rummy make up their own rules.

The 1930s saw the continuing evolution of Gin Rummy and its variations. Canasta came into the scene. Under the influence of Bridge, Canasta allows four players to participate. The rules are more formal, although Canasta itself gave rise to two other varieties: Samba and Bolivia.

But the Gin Rummy as we know it today did appear first in New York with Baker of the New York’s Whist Club receiving credit for its growing popularity. He also taught Bridge. He died mysteriously – many believed he was murdered by a rival card player. American culture swallowed Gin Rummy, making it a staple of Broadway and Hollywood celebrities.

If you recall, the 1930s were the Depression years which probably kindled the people’s need for an indoor game where no one was obliged to risk a large amount of money.

You’ll notice that when the history of Gin Rummy is discussed, one continent and one country are repeatedly mentioned: the Orient and Mexico. We’ll explain why:

China has an ancient card game called Mah jong which is still played today. In most Asian countries, Mah jong is played with tiles. Westerners got wind of it and soon, variations of Mah jong were coming up: Conquian was one; kanhoo was another. Historians say that the reason the Chinese card game proliferated was the massive immigration of Chinese, as well as British and Portuguese nationals who spent time in the Chinese mainland.

“Conquian” is a Spanish game and was introduced to the Americas by Spanish people who came to North America. David Parlett, who appears to be the history guru of card games, believes that “Conquian” is the great grandfather of many Rummy games. It bears similarities to the modern version of Gin Rummy.

One might be tempted to ask, but where can the true history of Gin Rummy be traced? Our answer is that there is universal disagreement. Some say it really started in China; others refute that claim by saying it is Spanish in origin. Still others insist that Rummy evolved from Poker, and was introduced by the French.

Fifty years from now, our great grandchildren will write in their history reports that Gin Rummy – that is, if it makes it to the year 3000 – originated in cyberspace. Why?

Simple. These days you don’t need a partner or a deck of cards anymore. You just go to any Gin Rummy site on the Web and start playing to your heart’s content. Forward-thinking gamers have taken Gin Rummy live. With this development, you’re bound to come across as many variations of Gin Rummy. And should the number of variations number in the thousands, we bet the origins of the game will become even more obscure. Our children will not be so interested as to where it started, their interest will likely be more focused on how a particular game is played. For a more in depth examination of the origins of Rummy games, see Rummy History.

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