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Rummy Trivia

We look at the history and general knowledge of what has become a worldwide attraction in the game of rummy and its many versions.

General Rummy Trivia

  1. The origin of the card game called Rummy has been debated for years.
  2. Some say that Rummy comes from the Spanish card game Conquian, a 19th Century card game.
  3. It has been put forth that Rummy comes from a French variation of the game of Poker.
  4. The name Rummy is said to have been derived from the phrase Rum Poker which leads some credence to the theory that Rummy is a variation of Poker.
  5. It is believed that Rummy may have derived from the Chinese game of Mahjong, played with tiles rather than cards.

Versions of the Game
Rummy Facts Trivia

  1. There are over 20 versions of the game Rummy that are commonly played and hundreds of local variations. Following is a listing of 30 local variations.
      • 500 Rum
      • Gin Rummy
      • Canasta
      • Bing Rummy
      • Pope Joan
      • Panguingue
      • Zigity
      • Kalooki
      • Penang Rummy
      • Indian Marriage
      • Uno
      • Khanhoo
      • Conquian
      • Three Thirteen
      • Continental
      • Robbers' Rummy
      • Zioncheck
      • Indian Rummy
      • Phase 10
      • Desmoche
      • Biriba
      • Ten Pennies
      • Buraco
      • Shanghai Rum
      • Tong-Its
      • Liverpool Rummy
      • Rumino
      • Dummy Rummy
      • Tonk or Tunk
      • Carioc
  2. The most common variation of the game in the United States is Gin Rummy.
  3. Since Rummy is usually played to the score of 500 points, there are no real statistics on the longest game ever.
  4. Rummy has so many variations that two players that have never played before may take as long as 15 minutes prior to game play to determine all of the variants that will be used during their game.

Social Use & Popularity
Rummy Facts Trivia

  1. Gin Rummy is one of the few card games that gained so much popularity that it spawned several commercial versions of the game. It is comparable to the appeal of Poker in that respect.
  2. At a penny per point, there have been 500-point matches that have gone on between friends for years, with a running total of the amount owed from one player to another.
  3. Rummy facts trivia notes that not including professional gambling games and solitaire, Rummy is commonly considered to be the most popular card game.
  4. Many people consider Rummy to be the game from which such popular games as Bridge and Pinochle were derived, making Rummy the Mother of almost all modern card games.
  5. Rummy, as a social game was played an equal amount of time in homes in the 1960's and 1970's as all other board games combined.
  6. Gin Rummy was so popular in the 1970's that it was featured in as many television shows and movies as Poker.
  7. From the year 1970 to the present date, the three highest levels of residential gambling were Rummy, Poker and Sportsbetting.

Witty Facts
Rummy Trivia

  1. Drinking rum or any other alcoholic drinks is not part of the rule set of rummy.
  2. Rummy is not the favorite game of the pirates of the Caribbean.
  3. Rummy is not served in kegs.
  4. Bacardi did not invent rummy.

To explore further the fascinating world of Rummy skill games played by passionate players worldwide, jump to any of the links below for the Rummy glossary series and challenging quiz at Gamerisms.

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