Part I : Introduction to card game rummy - RUMMY CUB GAME
Part II : Stone-Rummy: rules
Part III : Stone-Rummy-Plus : rules
Part IV : Laws of Rummy Cub Games, Version 1.0.2
Part V: Observations to stone rummy
Part VI: How to play : based on statistics and experience
Part VII Tournaments
Part VII)I Critic of stone rummy
Part X Other, links
I N T R O D U C T I O N TO R U M M Y C U B G A M E
Rummy cub game is a card game using solid state devices (cubs, stones, tiles etc), stamp size and made from plastic or similar. They are easy to handle, fit on a normal table and the wind does not take them away. Millions have been sold, many hundred of „how to play“ instructions are know.
This page offers you a basic simple version : stone -rummy, and a high competitive, stone-rummy-plus. They are result of a intensive evaluation of system elements in the world of cardplays and a consequent system building.
Here is the general idea :
All card plays follow a basic concept. In rummy, you pick a defined number of stones and then you must try to get rid of them by mending. Who first did it, wins. This implies the ranking of the other competitors : by quantity of stones not amended. All are rewarded, in our case by matchpoints. This is all, and there is no need of additinal features like opening requiremnents, face value and others . The game lives from acting on the table: building streets and groups.
Each player depends on the composition of stones at the fist pick, it might be favourable or not. But if a certain number of rummy-games is played, god or bad luck might equalise.
The stone-rummy-rules provide features to realise such quick rounds, mainly by a (relative) high number of jokers and a pick of „two in/ one out“ stones. The result is a qick and attractive game which needs constant attention. This game is well shaped for tournaments for many tables: you will find the resp. application on page "miscelaneous".
But to some players this is not sufficient. They want some positive action. This led to s t o n e r u m m y p l u s. Stone Rummy plus introduces the possibility to build up own property which results to more matchpoints. A group of four stones may be declared property of the player who constructed this group, and in consequence the other competitors have no acces to these stones. And more: such claim impede the building of streets . Players will now try to get as many claim as possible. By this, the rather simple stone-rummy becomes a higly competitive game which needs planning, good memory, patience, surveillance of competitors and more. Pairs = two persons likr to play this game as a passtime.
Objective of the game: The player takes a defined number of stones (tiles) from a pool and melds them onto the table in a defined order. Who first melded all stones wins the competition. The rank of the co-competitors follows the quantity of stones not melded.
Played are 104 Stones containing 2 Sets of stones number from 1 to 13 in the colours black, red, blue and yellow, and additional one Joker (any color)) per competitor. Each player takes14 Stones to start Adhering: Glue-property of stones run from 3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-1-2-3 ff General pool and Deposit pool as provided in the dummy law. Jokers are separeted and assigned. Each player takes 14 stones from the pool The game proceeds clockwise, the beginner is decided by lot. No initial med. 2/1 r u l e : On turn, the player takes two stones, one may come from the deposit pool;
then melds or not. At the end of his action he puts one stone face up into the deposit-pool.
Permitted combinations:
GRROUP, equal numberd stones, minimun = 3, max. = 4 ( i.E 6♠ ,6♥ ,6♦ ,6♣ ) RUN : stones of equal colour, followed by number, min: three stones, max 26, i E: 11,12,1,2,3,4
The player may add stones to and into existing combinations, reform and enlarge existing combinations on the table provided that during his action one stone from his hand enters new to the table: No stone on the table may return to the hand of a player. Any joker may substitute any stone, and vice versa. In scoring a joker counts „ one stone“. A Joker may return to the hand.
End of game: A player wins the game when all of his stone are on the table (empty hand) and if he so announces (Rommé). The last stone from his hand or from a melded combination may enter to the pool to finish the game,
S c o r i n g : The quantity of remaining stones in the hand of the other competitors establishes the ranking below the winner, the minimum is second to follow the winner. Equal quantities share the ranks. In a three person match: 3 MP to the winner, 2 MP for second, 1 MP for the third. In a four person match: 4 MP to the winner, 3 Mp für second, 2 MP for third, 1 MP for the last.
The Tournament Organiser may establish additional rules:
A player can pick only one (1) stone from the deposit pool.
If Rommé happens in the first round, the winner gets maximum MP, and the other share the rest in equal sums.
The Tournament Director may end a game at any time. In this case the numbers of stones in each hand establishes the ranking.
The player takes a defined number of stones (tiles) from a pool and melds them onto the table in a defined order. Players meld and declare groups of four as property (claim). The competition ends when one of the playerss melded all stones. Claims win Matchpoints GMP, finish wins Matchpoiunts CMP.
Played are 104 Stones containing 2 Sets of stones number from 1 to 13 in the colours black, red, blue and yellow, and additional one Joker (any color)) per competitor. Each player takes 14 stones to start.
Adhering: Glue-property of stones runs from 3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-1-2-3 ff
All stones are given to the table forming the pool. Their face is turned down. Stones going back to table after action enter the deposit-pool face up.
One Jokers is assigned to each player. Each player takes 14 stones from the pool.
The game proceeds clockwise, the beginner is decided by lot.
2/1 r u l e : On turn, the player takes two stones, either both from the pool
but one may come from the deposit pool, then he melds or not. At the end of his action he puts one stone face up into the deposit-pool (open access).
Initial meld: no limitation, any group or run of three stones serves.
RUN : stones of equal colour, followed by number, min: three stones, max 26, i E: 11,12,1,2,3,4
CLAIM: a group of four stones, placed by any competitor out of his hand or on the table, and melded in the specific form : |- - |. A claim may contain a joker. Other competitors have no access to the stones of a claim. The owner of the claim may dissolve the claim at any time. No stone of the claim may be exchange by a joker, expecpt by the owner. Any three stone group on the table may be captured by any player based on the missing fourth stone, when on turn.
O n t h e t a b l e : the player may add stones to and into estisting combinations, reform existing combinations on the table, provided that during his action one stone from his hand enters new to the table.
JOKER: No stone on the table may return to the hand of a player, exept in exchange to a joker. Any joker may substitute any stone, and vice versa. In scoring a joker counts „ one stone“. A joker may be part of any claim, but is no property of the claims owner and may ber exchanged by the adeqate stone by any competitor ( joker chase ).
E n d : The game ends when a player melds all of his stone are on the table, and he so announces. The last stone from his hand or from a melded combination may enter to the pool to finuish the game,
S c o r i n g :
Game Matchpoints (GMP) : zero stones = 4 GMP. The quantity of remaining stones in the hand of the other competitors establishes the ranking below the terminator, the minimum is second to follow the terminator. Equal quantities divide rank by two resp- three. In a three person match: 3 MP to the terminator, 2 MP for second, 1 MP for the third. Claim Matchpoints (CMP) : Each claim is equvalent to one GMP under the condition, that the claims exists at the end of the game.
W i n n e r :The competiton is won by the aggregate of GMP and CMP, expressed in TMP (total matchpoins)-.
The Tournament Organiser may establish additioal rules as shown in stone-rummy law. This game is subject to the general laws of rummy game ( in preparation).
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L A W S o f R U M M Y C U B G a m e p l a y in preparation
The four colours are substituited by the icons ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ within this script.
$4 The table: Tiles are placed on the table. The TD may require, that combinations are shown in certain preestablished areas. Claims must be shown in front of the owner $5 The pool All tiles used in a single game are kept in closed boxes, which have the triple capacity of the tiles in play. G e n e r a l p o o l :To start each game, the box is turned around twice and then the tiles are emptied in the middle of the table. The tiles which show their face (the number) are picked by the competitors and placed in the center of the table face down forming a little hill. Tiles must have the property to overlap if several are pressed together. The managing player secures the jokers. Players must not touch tiles in the pool in the progress of the game, unless on turn. D i s c a r d p o o l : One stone is placed in a separate container face up, by the palyer who starts. At the end of a players action, he puts back one stone out of his hand to the discard pool face up, and turns all other stones inside this pool face down. No player is permitted to peck at these other tiles out of turn
§6Movement
A competition consists of a defined quantity of games. Each game has several rounds played by all competitors.
At the start of a game. each players pick 14 stones face down and places them on his rack. The managing player distributes the jokers to each player.
RUN : stones of equal colour, followed by number, minimum: three stones, max 26, i E: 11,12,1,2,3all in ♥. .
CLAIM : Any group of four stones, placed on the table in the specific order : |--| is considered property of the player who melded this out of his hand or on the table. No other competitior is allowed to move any stone of the claim. A claim may contain a joker.
A owner of a claim is free to give up his right and the other competitor have free acces to any stone under the rules of this law.
Stone rummy is a simple basic form of play, easy to play for everyone, and may be extended to more complicated/difficult forms. It can be played by any level of player. Your performance will depend on skill and experience, but remains subject to„card luck“ (fortuitousness). Experienced players will loose less often then the ordinary player.
Stone rummy concentrates on the activities of the individual player: building and constructing combinations ( runs and groups), providing additional tools and eliminating old established habits which keep players away from acting.
There are many ways to play with rummykubs and the differences are significant..
Stone rummy serves as base for more complicated versions of play.
At the beginn of each game you pik 14 stones from the store. Than you arrange them according to your personal way. In many times you can recognise only o n e combination (37%) in others you will detect t w o (37%). T h r e e combinations show in 8% and – unfortunately- you will have no combination at all in 18 percent. In this case you cannot meld and have to wait for the next round. In all these picks you find „dead wood“; this are single stones where two new stones are needed to form a new combination.
How usefull are theses figures ? Should we start to meld at once or is it better to wait for the next round? Any player has his own way, developed by his personal experience.
But statistic offers addidtional ways:
P I C K U P
One of the peculiarities of stone – rummy is the rule of „take two – lay one down“ ; and one stone may be taken from the „used store“, where stones are placed face up – you can see the number.
Shall we make use of this possibility ? It goes without saying: do it when thereby a new combination is born. But first pick one from the „new store“: it happens that it has exactly the number in the „used store“ (not so rare) ! And this firdt pick might overrule your actual plans for more solutions.
But even when no new combination is the result, if a stone showing the right number enlarges your possibilities: pik it. Any pick from the used ones diminuishes the chances of your opponents. But there is no correlation between the quantity of combinations you have and the dead-wood stones (90% range between 1 – 3 pieces )
D I S P O S I N G :
If you have zero combinations: nearly all other competitors hold (80%) at least o n e combination, either street or group, melded or not. And they have some combinations in beeing: only one specific stone missing. If you dispose of a dead-wood-stone, chances are they need it. The same goes for doubles. Experienced player dispose of such stones, where the double is already merged on the table.
S T R E E T S & G R O U P S .
Looking to the initial distrbution you will state that more then 50% of the combinations are groups (for instance 333; 888 ). This sounds logical in relation to 104 stones in play: they may have 26 different groups and only two(four) very long streets ( unless you form 24 3-stone streets)
There is an important difference: you may ad to a 3stone-group only o n e stone, but to any street you ad t w o stones or more.
Any combination merged on the table is pray for your competitors !
Experienced players merge only one group in the first round, some wait for the second round for the first merge. This goes as well when you start having two combinations .
We use this expression when you hold t h r e e combinations in the first round. Should we merge them at once ?
If we do, this act will have influence on the performance of the other players, but different to the personel experience. In any case they have some information in relation to their own combinations. But there is no correlation to the quantity of combinations of the other players.
The holder of full-house may have little dead-wood.
Some players react by merging all, they hold : but this improves the chances of the full-house holder.
P R O C E E D I N G S O F T H E G A M E
Game preceeds and many stones are on the table. The information given by the inital statistic is overcome by the additional information. Example: 8888 and 8888 are on the table. In consequence there is no complete street like 678910 or more un less you take the resp. stone from one of the 8888.
If – in this example- a 5555 group is on the tbut look againable, the use of „6“ and „7“ stone is restricted.
This is a general indication :
& the more stones on the table, the better the chances to place stones.
& If it is your turn : check the possibility to dissolve an existing combination, this might result to placing an additional stone out of your hand.
& Look at all jokers on the table. Any chance to get them ? Check the possibility of future additional actions to get them.
& If you have done what you intended to: dont say "next", but look again all the table: chances are you overlooked the result of your own action.
Have a nice play
Paul
R u m m y E v e n t s (tournaments)
To use stones instead of regulard play- cards gives more security when moving units on the table.
Stone-Rummy is the best way to play many tables. Recommended are thresomes for all tables (time). After play of three single games one (the best?) of the players is to move to the next higher table.
Scoring in Stone-Rummy permits comparing players who played a different number of single games if the point result is put into relation to the maxmin of points possible. Ex.: in a threesome a player earns 9 points, the maximum is 3 x3 points (=9) the compared results reads 100 % )
H e r e a r e p r o b l e m s o f r e a l l i f e:
S l o w g a m e : A players on turn studies his position at the table and thinks – thinks, time runnig. Remedy: official rules setting time-limits may keep players away from tournaments. The tournament Director (TD) should be empowered to end such game, giving averages to all player, with the possiblity to impose a half negativ point to the slowbee.
A l l p l a y e r s s l o w : A group of players is one game behind the other groups. The official rule book for this event must show a rule giving the TD the power to „neutralise“ the last – not played – game. Aplied are shared points for all participants.
S t r o n g a n d W e a k m i x e d To have different goups is a costumary solution. Ex.: Cup-players / regular-players / new-players
The community has a permanent ranking list: The promotor of the event places participant according to this list.
The participants make their choice between the possibilities offered by the promotor.
U p & D o w n Players are seated at random in the first two round. Than eveybody is seated anew accrding to his result – thus creating a top-group of winners. This procedure man be repeated several times and under specitic conditions. Ex.: winners of th top-group can go down only one group. etc,etc..
COMMENTS and CRITIQUE
Stone-Rummy is - without doubt - one of the many possibiliies to play „Rommé“.
It has been constructed purposely to be a fast game with the objecitive to exclude chance – as far as possible – by means of a significant number of single games
The result of a tournament has to be looked at as just.
G a m e v e r y q u i c k ?
This is a substantial comment and often heard by players who like it slow.. True ! But it is a competition and not a pass-time.
You have the choice to play different in private sessions, as follows:
N o J o k e r : simply put them aside. The effect is: you will need more time, and some time much more time. It happens that all players have the same smal quantity (one, two.) lof stones. Agree all of you to have this single game ended and share points. But enjoy to merge and structure again and again.
T w o J o k e r In private game you may hide two joker in the stock. This makes stone-rummy a game of chance.
A s s i g n e d J o k e r s Every player receives a joker at the beginn of the game. This is standard in stone-rummy. By this, every player has the means to play according to his plans, independent of cards/stones from stock or used -pile. This makes stone – rummy different to the known systems of rommé.
This fact is something different from the system related function that jokers help to terminate the game more quickly.
.Anything more ?
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