| When G in Rummy suddenly surged to the front in | | | | variety of Poker, in which the drinks were the prize, |
| 1938,most dic-toinries and almost all Bridge | | | | should bear theirname. Hundreds of variations followed |
| Writers jumped toi the conclusion that the game was | | | | and slowly Gin Rummy began to evolve. Here, |
| an entirely new form of Rummy. Mostpresent-day | | | | forexample, are the rules for Rum Poker: |
| Bridge writers and game authors erroneously credit a | | | | Each player was dealt ten cards, and each player |
| New York Bridge expert withthe invention of Gin | | | | drew cards until he had 15 points or lessin his hand. He |
| Rummy in 1909. | | | | could then lay down his entire hand, showing the |
| The truth is that game-rule books published in the early | | | | combinations he could meldand counting the pips of the |
| 1000s describe a game called Gin | | | | cards that didn't connect with anything. Thus a player |
| Poker which is almost identical to the present Gin | | | | mig holdthree kings and a run of four cards in |
| Rummy. As for the origin of Gin Poker, insome other | | | | sequence, his odd cards being a six, three and |
| country there may be obscure records of some very | | | | deuceof sundry suits. The deadwood (unmatched |
| early game resembling our Rummygames but failing | | | | cards) counted 11. All other players laid downtheir |
| that, my opinion is that the origin of the Rummy games | | | | hands now, and the winner collected the difference |
| was Whiskey Poker;a peculiarly American variant of | | | | between his deadwood total andtheirs. Sometimes, of |
| Poker. (Poker, as stated in Chapter 27, is probably | | | | course, another player's deadwood was a point or so |
| anadaptation of the ancient Persian game as, or As-N | | | | below theclaimant's. The other player got paid. |
| as.) | | | | That's coming pretty close to Rummy. And then, in the |
| The tenth (1864) edition of The American Hoyle gives | | | | early 19OOs, along came a thirdvariety of Poker, Gin |
| these rules for Whiskey Poker: | | | | Poker. Look at these rules: |
| Five cards are dealt to each player, one at a time, and | | | | A standard pack of 52 cards was used. The game |
| an extra hand is dealt on the table,called the "widow." | | | | was for two players. Game was 100 points. |
| The eldest hand then examines his cards and decides | | | | Each player was dealt ten cards, one to each |
| he has a strong hand; he passes. If not,he may take | | | | alternately. The 21st card was turned face up. |
| the widow. Each player in rotation has a chance to | | | | Each player could pick off the top card of the discard |
| take the widow. | | | | pile or take a card off the top ofthe stock, then |
| When a player takes the widow, he must place his | | | | discard a card. The object of the game was to get |
| discarded hand face up on the table. | | | | sequences of three or morein a suit or three or four of |
| And then comes the crucial detail of the play that is | | | | a kind. As soon as deadwood totaled 10 or less the |
| responsible for all Rummy games. Thediscarded hand | | | | playercould call for a showdown, and had to announce |
| is face up in the center of the table, and..That is the | | | | the amount of his deadwood and show his hand,laying |
| origin of our Rummygames. | | | | the combination aside. If an opponent had fewer |
| Why was it called Whiskey Poker? The 1880 | | | | deadwoods than the caller (thepresent game's |
| American Hoyle says: 'The game is often played | | | | "knocker") he and not the caller got paid. Not only |
| forrefreshments." Most card playing and gambling circa | | | | that-he got a 10-pointpenalty from the caller. |
| 1864 took place in saloons, and it wasnatural that this | | | | |