rummy

Rummy is a specific card game, as well as a genre of card games which involve the same concepts:

• Draw and Discard: Each turn, a player draws one or more cards from either the (concealed) deck or the discard pile, optionally takes some action, and then discards one or more cards.
  
• Melding: To score points, you must meld groups of cards, such as sets of 3 or more of the same rank, and runs of 3 or more consecutive ranks in the same suit.

The rummy is member of the very large classification of games known as draw and discard games. The object of these games is to improve one's hand by forming it into sets of matching cards (either same rank or sequence in a suit). The basic move is to draw one (or more cards) from an undealt deck or from the discard pile, possibly meld a set or sets, and discard a card. Historically, these games appear to be Chinese origin. Although they are now widespread, they were unknown outside the orient until the 20^th century.

The basic rummy game is to simply form your entire hand into sets as soon as possible. Whenever someone succeeds in this and goes out, players loose a fixed amount, or may be penalized according to the number of unmelded cards they have left.

• Rummy
• Three Thirteen
• Porter
• Loba
• Five Crowns

There exist also knock rummy games. In these games, it is not necessary to have all of your cards in sets before going out. Instead, you may knock when you think that the value of the unmatched cards (deadwood) is less than that of the other players. If you are right, you win, but if any other player can do better, you are very penalized.

• Gin Rummy
• Tonk

Rum"my (?), a.

Of or pertaining to rum; characteristic of rum; as a rummy flavor.

 

© Webster 1913.

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Rum"my, n.; pl. Rummies ().

One who drinks rum; an habitually intemperate person.

[Low]

<-- Rummy, a game of cards. Gin rummy, a type of rummy. -->

 

© Webster 1913.

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Rum"my, a. [See Rum, a.]

Strange; odd.

[Slang]

 

© Webster 1913.