Rummy History

Ok, folks, here is the low down on Gin Rummy and the history of it's origins, once and for all. Let me start by saying that the origins of Gin Rummy are somewhat, confused. The game, as we know it today, dates back at least to the early 1800s. Beyond that, however, it is impossible to say. Nobody was talking notes on card games back then, leaving game historians to look for other evidence into the origins of Rummy. Currently, there are three leading theories about where Rummy comes from. Two are quite simple, and the third is much more complex. The simplest theory is the “Poker Theory.” This theory is simple because it stipulates that Rummy evolved from another card game, Poker. The two card games share some important similarities, too: in each game, the player tries to form sets of cards, based on suits and sequences. The games’ objects, however, are very different, as are the number of cards dealt out, and the number of players able to participate in a single hand. The other simple theory is the “Chinese Theory.” According to this one, Rummy has an East Asian origin, and is related to various Chinese games such as Khanhoo (a card game) or Mah Jongg (a tile game). This theory’s greatest strength is the similarity of Mah Jongg to Rummy. The game of Rummy Cube, a tile-based version of Gin Rummy, is a simply a simplified and Westernized version of Mah Jongg; all three games are based on forming runs and sets, and in each, the winner is the player to discard all of his tiles or cards first. While the games are very similar, and popular in China, there is no other concrete evidence for this theory. Finally, the most complex theory is the “Spanish, or Conquian, Theory.” This theory places the origin of modern Rummy in northern Mexico, where it was called Conquian (from the Spanish meaning “with whom”). The game then crossed the Rio Grande, and became the Southwestern game of Cooncan. An alternate version holds that Cooncan is older, and crossed into Mexico, where it was given a Spanish name of similar sound. The oddest twist to this theory is the origin of the name, “Rummy.” As the game grew in popularity, it crossed the Atlantic, and in the late 1800s was called ‘Rum’ by the English. Rum was English slang for anything odd, and this new game seemed odd to them. In the early 1900s, the name came back to America in its current form, Rummy. As you see, there is a great deal of debate on the origins of Rummy. Books have been written on the subject, but as yet, there is no consensus among the historians of games.

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A Brief History of Gin Rummy