History of Rummy
Rummy is a family of games all having a "draw and discard" theme in common. The main aim across all of the variants to is to discard all of the cards in your hand by forming either sets or runs. All Rummy games have some kind of a scoring system which makes for a great money game in matches or tournaments. Here are various theories on the origins and development of Rummy
The East
This pattern of play (play and discard) features in Mahjong. this game filtered over to the west with names like Conquian, kanhoo and others. The game was spread by Chinese immigrants and British and Portuguese merchants travelling around Hong Kong, Macau and China.
Mexico
You can also trace similarities to Rummy from the Spanish game "Conquian", brought to New World by the Spanish communities heading west.
The most popular version of Rummy is Gin Rummy. Gin Rummy was probably invented in New York in the early 20th century, but as is often the case, this is a disputed fact.
The name of the game is closely linked to the alcoholic drink of the same name. It beacame very fashionable in Hollywood in the 1930's.
Many Rummy variants can now be played online on the Internet, enabling players from all over the planet to play each other.