Board Game Arena

When I was young I used to play this game with my family using a regular deck of playing cards - but my parents never seemed to know what it was called.

It was very simple - everyone would have six cards then take turn to take the top card from the draw or discard pile then dump a card to the discard - it could be the one you’d just taken.

The winner was the first to get two runs of three, two sets of three or one of each in their hand.

Rummy.

Sounds very similar to Gin Rummy.

I guess it must be in the rummy family, gin rummy does seem similar but slightly more complex, and the game we played could have more players.

Perhaps it’s considered a variant of gin rummy but I imagine it would have its own name

FT3 wrote: ↑20 August 2021, 21:15 I guess it must be in the rummy family, gin rummy does seem similar but slightly more complex, and the game we played could have more players.

Perhaps it’s considered a variant of gin rummy but I imagine it would have its own name

Tbh, gin rummy is the same but with 10 cards. You can have 2 5 straights or even a full 10 straight and that's a gin, a gin is pretty much a complete hand with all meldable cards. Mini Gin Rummy lol. I might say that name bc I knew an 8 tile jong which was tentatively called mini jong.

The reason I said it sounded more complex is because the how to play video I watched (by Triple S Games) was talking about knocking where you lay down your cards if your unmatched cards equal less than ten then the other player can add to your sets and runs... which seemed a long way from the game we used to play, but maybe a lot of people don’t bother with that rule?

There’s a German card game called “a book and a run”, and a variant called “contract rummy”, that are similar, but more complex. (now I’m googling, and there are all sorts of versions of “books and runs”)….

FT3 wrote: ↑21 August 2021, 11:31 The reason I said it sounded more complex is because the how to play video I watched (by Triple S Games) was talking about knocking where you lay down your cards if your unmatched cards equal less than ten then the other player can add to your sets and runs... which seemed a long way from the game we used to play, but maybe a lot of people don’t bother with that rule?

Well, there's an Oklahom1 variant that's even more complex for knocking bc it uses the upcard as score and Ace FORCES a no unmatched cards.

Five Crowns is a good set building (like Rummy) type game.