Gaming table fun for two
Gin Rummy is a perfect card game for two people. It seems to be favored by all ages, as it is easy to play and is a perfect pastime for relaxation.
The history of this card game reaches back in the 1900s. More exactly, it was invented in 1909, in a New York Club, by Elwood Thomas Baker and his son, Charles Graham Baker. The latter is sais to have named this game after his favorite drinks, gin and rummy.
Favorite for the stars in days of old
Gin Rummy did not enjoy a great success at its beginning. Only in the 40’s, this game rose to fame when the great Hollywood stars at that time started to play it. Thanks to the movie legends, Gin Rummy was advertised and played more and more.
Game rules
This game uses 52 cards and 2 players. Each player is dealt 10 cards. The 21st card is placed face up and the rest is left face down.
The objective of this game is to get rid of as many cards as possible and score the most points. The cards rank from low to high: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen and King. Unlike other games, Gin Rummy uses the Ace as a small card only. The players can take the upcard or draw a card from the face down pile. The one taking the face down card should not show it to the opponent, but place one in his hand in the face up pile. The cards can be played in sets or runs. The set is made up of three or more cards of the same rank. A run comprises three or more cards from low to high, of the same rank. Those cards that are left outside are called deadwood.
Scoring
The scoring comes from gin or from display. Gin is when the player organizes all his cards in threes and sequence, with no deadwood. For Gin, a number of 25 points, plus the opponent’s count, are automatically granted. Also, a display can lead to a win, provide that the player has no deadwood that will count more than 10 points. The game ends when one of the players reaches 100 points.
The greatest player
Stu Ungar is recognized as the greatest gin rummy player at all times. He has been described as having real clairvoyant skills to ‚see’ his opponents’ hands. Known under the name of ‚The Kid’ and ‚The Comeback Kid’, he won his first gin rummy tournament at the age of 10. He dropped out of school to spend full time playing gin rummy. A real expert and an unchallenged champion in poker, Stu Ungar had big drug problems. He passed away at 45, in November 1998.
