Where does gin rummy come from?
Gin rummy is younger than most card games people call classics - it has a specific birth year, a named inventor, and a straight line from a New York card room to the movie sets of golden-age Hollywood.
The 1909 invention
Gin rummy was created in 1909 in New York City by Elwood T. Baker, a teacher of whist, together with his son C. Graham Baker. Baker wanted a quicker two-player game than the Rummy of the day, so he added the ideas that still define it: knocking with low deadwood instead of melding your whole hand, and a bonus for going gin. The name is usually taken as a nod to the drink, keeping the family theme of "Rum" games.
The Rummy family tree
Gin didn't appear from nowhere. It grew out of the wider Rummy family, which traces back through 19th-century games like Conquian (Mexican Rummy) and, further still, to Chinese draw-and-discard games. Baker's real contribution was pace: a hand of gin ends the moment someone knocks, so you play many quick hands rather than one long one.
The Hollywood craze
Gin rummy exploded in popularity in the 1930s and 1940s, especially among actors, writers and studio crews who played it between takes. It became shorthand for a smart, sociable card game, and that fame carried it into living rooms across America. Today you can play gin rummy against the computer in seconds - or read the full rules first.
Related questions
Why is it called gin rummy?
The 'rummy' part places the game in the wider Rummy family of draw-and-discard games. The 'gin' is generally understood as a playful nod to the drink, keeping the spirits theme that 'rum' already started. The name was coined by inventor Elwood T. Baker in New York in 1909.
What is the difference between gin rummy and rummy?
The big difference is where melds go and how you win. In gin rummy you keep your melds concealed in hand and end the hand by knocking with low deadwood or going gin. In basic Rummy you lay melds face up on the table as you form them, lay off onto others, and win by being first to empty your hand.
How do you play gin rummy?
Two players each get ten cards. On your turn you draw one card - from the stock or the discard pile - then discard one, trying to group your hand into melds (sets and runs). When your unmatched cards total ten points or fewer, you can knock to end the hand and score the difference in deadwood, or go gin for a bonus.