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Rummy Versions

February 4, 2010

 

Rummy has been one of the most popular games from the time when there was not much the population could do in terms of relaxation and entertainment. Since the 18^th century, people in different parts of the world have been playing some kind of card games which bear similarity to the way we now play rummy– the draw and discard method.
The Chinese card game of Mahjong which gained acceptance during the 18^th century is considered by some to be the origin of the modern rummy games. Others believe the Spanish game of Conquian to be the beginning of rummy. Whatever be the origins of rummy, today, we all play online rummy and enjoy it thoroughly.
There are a number of variations of rummy, of which you can play a handful online at Rummyroyal.com.
Here we outline some of these rummy variations and give you a gist of how these games are played.

Each rummy variation offers a challenging twist to the normal rummy game. Gin Rummy, Contract Rummy, Rummy500, Canasta and Kalooki are some of the common versions for which you can play online rummy.
For those of you wanting to try out some more variations apart from these, there are others like Carioca, Rumino, Burraco, Oklahoma Gin, Michigan Rummy, Panquinque, Conquin, Shanghai Rummy and Russian Rummy, to name a few. 
Not all of these variations can be played online, but some of them can.
At Rummy Royal you can Plat Online Rummy for free or for reral money.

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The rummy card games can be classified according to their scoring pattern as positive and negative types.
In the positive rummy games, the melds carry positive scores; hence, the player builds as many melds as possible and tries to prolong his departure from the game until it becomes most profitable.
The negative rummy games only score negative points for deadwood while the melds are worth no points.
Therefore, in these kinds of games, the player will try to get rid of all his cards as soon as possible.

There is another sub-classification that can be made for the rummy games. You have flat-out variations like Conquian, knock-out games like Gin Rummy, drift out variations like the basic Rummy, contract games like Carioca and Contract rummy as well as positive scoring games like Canasta.
We attempt to give the basic information on some of these variations; for people who play rummy online, it is quite simple to explore other variations on their own.
Many online rummy sites have a detailed description of various rummy card game variations which are quite helpful.

Gin Rummy:

Gin Rummy is the most well-known version of Rummy.
The game uses a standard deck of 52 cards for two players.
Each player is dealt 10 cards and the first player to accumulate 100 points or any such agreed points will win a bonus of 100 points. Hollywood Gin and Oklahoma Gin are other off-shoots of Gin rummy.
Gin Rummy can be conveniently played online.

Contract Rummy:

Contract rummy uses two card decks along with 4 Jokers.
The peculiarity of this game is that players have to meet contracts before they can meld cards.
There are 7 deals where players have to make the contracts according to certain requirements.
Cards dealt for each round differs.
Contract Rummy can be played by minimum 3 and maximum 8 players.
3 card decks are used for more than 5 players.

Rummy 500:

Rummy 500 uses a single deck of 52 cards with 2 Jokers. 2 to 8 players can play Rummy 500; it is best played among 3 to 5 players.
4 players can play in a partnership as in Persian Rummy, a variation of Rummy 500.
The main object of the game is to accumulate 500 points first in order to win the game.
Additionally, the winner is required to dispose off all his cards. 

Canasta:

Canasta utilizes 2 decks of cards including 4 Jokers for 4 to 5 players. For 6 players, 3 packs of cards are used with 6 Jokers, totaling to 162 cards.
Each player is dealt 11 cards.
The card values in Canasta differ from those in the other variations of rummy.
The players are required to make ‘Canastas’ which is a meld of 7 or more cards. Players have to aim at getting rid of all their cards by melding and dropping off the last card on the discard pile. 
Canasta is generally played with 4 players in 2 teams, although this is not the rule.
It is essential for a team to build no less than 1 Canasta before either of the team members can go out.

Kalooki Rummy:

This is a variant of the Straight Rummy and is played with two decks of cards including 2 Jokers.
A minimum of two and a maximum of 6 players can play Kalooki.
This is one variation where you can play online rummy as this is a hot favorite of many rummy fans.
The goal is to create sets and runs of your cards so as to run out of cards before your opponent does.
Kalooki has many variants like the North American version, the European, the Jamaican and the South African Kalooki.
It is a favorite with the British as well.

Although some obvious differences exist in the variations of rummy games, the basic structure remains the same.
The differences lie in the number of card decks used, the value of the cards in each variation when you play rummy, the scoring and the number of cards each player is dealt.
If you play online rummy, you might find it easier to practice the various rummy games and understand the intricacies of each variant.
Online rummy sites allow you to play rummy for free so you can practice your game without losing too much of your bankroll.
Sites like Rummyroyal.com will assist you in your quest for perfecting your online rummy game for free.

My advice to you would be to concentrate on one rummy variant at a time so that you can master the skills to play rummy perfectly before you move on to compete with other online rummy players. 
You see, there is a likelihood of getting confused with the rules of rummy followed for each variant if you try to learn all of them at once.
Taking the process step by step is the best way to learn and master the skills to play rummy.

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