Thinking Man’s Poker: Gin Rummy is back in 2006.

Almost everyone remembers playing a game of Gin Rummy as a youngster, usually introduced by a grandparent keen on giving you your first taste of serious card play. However, few people younger than 40 realise that before Poker, Rummy* was pretty much the card game of choice for hard core gamblers and casual players alike from the 1920’s through to the early 70’s. Gin Rummy was accessible and sexy. Bogart and Bacall played it, Shirley MacLaine had a gun pulled on her while playing with mob boss Sam Giancana, and of course the Rat Pack would indulge in the game while nursing a whiskey sour and cigarette. Bankrolled and endorsed Rummy pro-players criss-crossed the US looking for high-stakes tournaments and games (Vegas, Miami, California and New York being the major hubs). It was not uncommon to have $500 - $1,000 buy-ins per game (a lot of money in those days), with property and other capital sometimes put up as collateral.

Gin Rummy was the epitome of cool and everyone wanted in. Even Poker’s first “rock ‘n roll superstar” Stu ‘The Kid’ Ungar, had been a travelling Gin Rummy pro, to the extent that he eventually couldn’t even get a money game anywhere in the US. Famously, the three times WSOP champ uttered the words “I don’t see how anyone could ever play Gin better than me” – though Rummy old timers swear that he was by no means the best. Ironically, Ungar’s lifestyle and image signalled a popular cultural shift towards Poker (and specifically the ‘crapshoot’ – as Rummy players describe it - that is ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’) and eventually the multimedia money-spinner it is now. Poker captures the imagination due to a spectacular combination of culture, luck and huge purses. Importantly, anyone can dream and even sometimes realise a serious tournament win. Crucially, these elements translated almost perfectly into the online and television environment.

Poker slowly but surely swept Gin Rummy and other more skill-based Poker formats such as Omaha into a dusty corner (try and find a serious Omaha or Stud game in Vegas – it ain’t easy – that’s because the game is considered ‘too skilful’).

With growth in Poker slowing (though by no means dead) and the major operators consolidating or fighting for players, Gin Rummy has been slowly gaining a cyber presence. It certainly is a given that all Gin Rummy players are Poker players and vice-versa the same applies too. Certainly, Rummy is a far easier game to pick up and play, and it’s portability (either as a 2-or even 4-player game) is a prerequisite for internet popularisation – without the collusion issues of Poker or complications of Contract Bridge. Basically, a person can master the rules in 2 minutes (there are only minor variants). That’s also roughly the time it takes to get addicted to the format. Before long, you want to play the game for money – something genuine Rummy players take very seriously. As a rake-based online product, Rummy pretty much mimics all the dynamics and economics of online Poker and the requisite tournaments it supports. Instead of growing pots for example, your allocation of the profits can be determined through ‘per point’ Money Play – profits increasing according to the skill applied and the moves made (and sometimes risks taken) to win your hand. Gin Rummy is a Skill Game (in the US it is considered as such in most states – making it a fantastic legal advertising vehicle) – but it retains the elements of chance necessary to make it encouraging to all newcomers. After all, you can almost never beat a pro in chess or pool and even backgammon benefits from handicapping or rating systems. It takes a long time to master and memorise the over 66,000 possible hand variations in Rummy, but it is ultimately about common sense and keen observation. Rummy players build a vision of their opponent’s hands and the banter and culture of psyching out that player is almost as thrilling as the Poker variant because bluff and bluster still figure strongly in the game. What Rummy needs is the injection of youth and vigour associated with Poker – and of course TV. There is a strong belief that technology could enable a far more compelling television experience than some other games out there being televised (Let’s not forget that the Poker we see is a heavily edited production that erases all the typical lulls and boring hands).

The game is rejuvenating online and player ages range from 20-50, with a good mixed demographic. Stakes can vary from the typical $4.00 mark to as much as $800.00 per game. Offline games currently caters to a mostly older crowd – but that crowd knows Rummy and there are hundreds of Doyle Brunsons and Titanic Thompson’s out there who are dying to take on the youth and educate them in the process.

With over 40 million hands of Gin Rummy played, www.redhotrummy.comis a site that has seen a huge uptake in the game and provides the kind of community spirit that confirms its potential as complementary to Poker as a serious gaming source for both the casual and serious player (stakes per game vary from $2 to $800 per game!). More than any other game, Gin Rummy looks set to take the online market by storm this year and form the backbone of the another industry success story!

By Meir Moses (Marketing Manager - RedHotRummy.com)

*There are dozens of different Rummy games known around the world, from European 7-Card Rummy to the Gambler’s choice of 10-Card ‘Oklahoma’ rule Rummy common in North America