Rummy is a set of eight matching-card games, also known as round of rummy, famous for the same type of rule and similar game play. The objective in any variant of rummy is to develop melds that will be either running or pairs. For the purposes of this discussion, we’ll assume that there are no other objectives beyond developing a larger number of pairs or better pairs by matching up cards. (A rummy game may include other objectives such as scoring the highest possible score, a rummy duel, winning a specified amount of money, etc.)
In all the variants of rummy, the object is to eliminate players by outfitting them with a specific card combination, usually an ace of some kind, at the beginning of every round of rummy. There are a total of 32 Aces. Players are allowed to choose only from those Ace cards. Opponents can’t match the cards; they have to eliminate each other.
To make a run, a player takes turns matching up a card and then placing it onto the dealer’s card table. That player doesn’t have to reveal his/her cards until the time is right, i.e., when all opponents have been eliminated. Then the person with the revealed card is chosen to be the “winner” by getting the highest ranking card in the sequence. (Aces are ranked according to their position in the sequence.) In a rummy tournament, the sequence is not allowed to change, though some tournaments may have a contingency that allows it to do so if a certain card is removed from the playing pile for any reason prior to the start of the tournament.
In a rugby tournament, players are divided into groups or platoons. The objective is to eliminate the other teams’ card decks by winning matches in the “ruitment” phase. As in a regular rummy game, the last player standing wins the game. Placing the winning card on the card table earns the winner the win.
There are many variations of this card game. While many people believe that it originated in the Caribbean, there are no documented records to support such a claim. In United States alone, there are more than twenty thousand variant variations of this game. Each variation includes its own set of rules. There are basic rules, as in most card games, as well as winning conditions for the two players at the end of the game.
When playing a rummy game, it is important to discard one card from your hand before you deal your next card. This is because you don’t want to draw the same card as another team. The last card in the sequence is the winning card. If you draw the last card, the rummy game results into a draw.