Rummikub: The Rummy Alternative?

Rummy games have always been said to be educational and easy. Hence, many teachers and parents encourage their children to play simpler variations of the Rummy games such as Gin Rummy. But it cannot be denied that playing Gin Rummy with cards can be a bit confusing for children. While Gin Rummy only uses 10 to 11 cards at hand per turn, this may be too hard to handle for little children and their little hands. Because of this, their game play is hampered and they are more preoccupied with handling the cards than thinking up of ways to strategize. Also, the cards used in Gin Rummy or other Rummy games may seem bland to children who are already accustomed to the bright colors and sounds of advanced video games. But games such as Rummy are much more educational than these video games, where kids merely mush buttons instead of think analytically. Hence, there’s Rummikub, what many consider as the alternative to the Rummy card games.

History

In essence, the card games and board games both have origins that spanned thousands of years. For card games, it began in China during the 10 century. For the board games, it can be traced back to Iran around the same period. In any case, both games were initially used mainly by high-ranking people, or people who are high in the social hierarchy. However, after the development of machines that mass-produced these products, even the masses had access to these games. In any case, Rummikub started with the idea of Ephraim Hertzano. Wanting to invent a game similar to the card games played popularly during his time, he invented Rummikub, which used tiles instead of cards. The game slowly became popular after Hertzano moved to Israel and the game was exported to Europe and American, to much acclaim. The interest in Rummikub is not at all surprising. Using colorful tiles to replace cards, it has the same addictive game play as the standard Rummy games. It can also be played with several players per game, and it encourages the use of tactics and strategies in order to win. It is, by any means, not a game of chance; rather, it is a game rooted in the skill. Each Rummikub set has 106 tiles (equivalent to two card decks with the Joker included), with 104 number tiles plus two more for Joker tiles. The tiles are numbered one to 13, and they appear in four colors (red, blue, yellow, and black). Each color has two one to 13 tile sequences and Jokers, which means, for example, that there are two one-red tiles, two one-yellow tiles, and so on.
 

Game play

The game play of Rummikub is similar to the game play of the standard Rummy game. At the start of the game, the tiles are placed face down for selection. The players then pick a tile to determine the order of the game: the one with the highest tile value starts firsts, and the game proceeds in a clockwise direction. After which, the tiles are returned and the players collect 14 tiles each at random. These tiles are arranged in their racks. The first player must set a meld (a meld similar to the melds in other Rummy games such as the standard Rummy and Gin Rummy, with the colors replacing the suits). If the player is not able to make the initial meld, he or she must pick a tile from the stock pool. The game proceeds with players with players forming melds, placing it on the table, and players can add on the existing melds on the table. Unlike Gin Rummy where the cards and the melds stay in the player’s hand, in Rummikub, the players can place one meld at a time, or can place tiles on existing melds. The game ends when all the tiles in the player’s rack are used up.
 

Difference and advantage

With this, it is easy to see why Rummikub is quite popular not just with kids. Adults can also enjoy the distinctive flare of Rummikub’s game play, which is a combination of a number of Rummy games popular among avid card gamers. As for its educational purpose, many studies prove that the game (and other similar board games) can enhance a child’s analytical skills. It is also said that games such as Rummikub can help one’s memory, preventing memory-related ailments in the future. Lastly, playing Rummikub can improve one’s math skills. While Rummikub is no substitute for studying, it is great that something as fun and engaging can also be educational. Rummikub is indeed the Rummy alternative which everyone in the family can enjoy.