William Shakespeare once said, “What’s in a name?”! This quote by one of the finest playwrights of the English language tends to hold true in many cases. For example, if you are playing rummy by the rules, then it does not matter what you call it, as long as you are having fun playing it. Known for its popularity in the Indian subcontinent, this game has been through a long course in history to reach its present status.
Over the years, many uncommon names for India’s most loved card game emerged. The primary reason for so many variations in the name of the card game is geographical and cultural influence. Let us take a look at ten uncommon names for one of the most popular card games in India.
Rum Poker
The most uncommon name of rummy is Rum Poker. The French assumed that the origins of rummy were from Poker, especially due to similarities in the concepts of sequences and sets. Some also believe that Rum Poker is actually the origin of the rummy card game that we play today. Furthermore, you can clearly notice the similarities between both the names!
Roemer
Another uncommon name for the game under question here is Roemer. It is a Dutch word that means a drinking glass, generally carried by sailors. Whatever its purpose may have been, Roemer definitely came up as an uncommon name for a popular card game.
Canasta
Canasta is another uncommon name for rummy, popular in Uruguay. The word means ‘basket,’ in Spanish, and the tray for holding the discard pile and the closed pile might have been inspirations for this name.
Indian Marriage
Indian Marriage is also an uncommon name for the game we are discussing. It is also known as the 21 Card variant because players need three or more decks for playing it.
Michigan Rummy
Michigan Rummy is also one of the names for rummy given for the earliest known version of the game that included a scoring system for sets.
Gin Rummy
Gin Rummy is also one of the uncommon names that you can find for this card game. The two-hand card game has gained noticeable recognition in recent times, despite being an uncommon name.
Paplu
Paplu is another uncommon name for rummy that is quite popular in countries such as Nepal and Bhutan. The name itself spells so much fun that you can imagine how the game would be.
Dummy Rummy
Dummy Rummy is also one of the uncommon variants of the card game. It is popular for the simple and exciting features with slight differences from the actual game.
Phase 10
Phase 10 or Contract Rummy is also a popular uncommon name for the card game. It is a variation of Gin Rummy, and 3 to 8 players can participate in it. The scoring in this variant is different from the joker card-carrying 25 points and the Aces carrying 15 points each.
California Rummy
California Rummy is another uncommon name for the game that is also known as Shanghai Rummy. The number of deals is 10 in this game and is suitable for 3 to 5 players.
Conclusion
All the above-mentioned uncommon names for rummy are actually the different variants. Some uncommon names presented here also reflect on the origins of the name for India’s most loved card game. Choose the right variant, get ready to have fun, and enjoy your favorite game right now!