Rummikub

Rummikub is a tile-based game designed for two to four players.

It combines strategic elements from the card game rummy and the ancient game of mahjong. The game relies on a pool of 106 tiles. This pool includes 104 numbered tiles and two joker tiles. The numbered tiles range from 1 to 13 in four distinct colors: blue, red, orange, and black. There are two copies of every color and number combination.

Players use individual racks to store their tiles secretly from opponents.

To begin, players shuffle the tiles and deal 14 to each person.

One tile is drawn to determine the starting player based on the highest value. The remaining tiles form the pool. On the very first move, a player must perform an initial meld. This initial meld must consist of sets totaling at least 30 points. A player cannot use tiles already on the table for this first move. If a player cannot make a meld, they must draw a tile from the pool.

All tiles in play must belong to a set of at least three tiles. There are two specific types of sets: runs and groups. A run is a sequence of three or more tiles of the same color in consecutive numerical order. For example, a red 3, 4, and 5 form a run. A 1 cannot follow a 13 in a run. A group consists of three or four tiles with the same value but in different colors. An example would be a red 3, blue 3, black 3, and yellow 3.

The most complex part of Rummikub is the ability to manipulate existing tiles. Players can rearrange tiles that are already on the table to create new sets. You might shift a run by adding a tile to one end and removing one from the other. You can also split a long run into two separate runs by inserting a new tile in the middle. In a group, you can substitute a tile with the fourth color of the same value.

This constant movement allows for deep strategy and clever plays.

Jokers serve as wild cards that can represent any number or color. A joker can be used in any set, but it cannot be retrieved before the initial meld. Once a joker is on the table, a player can replace it with the correct tile. The tile used for substitution must be played during that same turn. This process is often called harvesting a tile.

If a player uses all their tiles, they call "Rummikub" to win the game.

Ephraim Hertzano invented the game in Israel. He was a Romanian-born Jew who emigrated to Israel after World War II. He originally handmade the first sets with his family in their backyard. He sold these early sets door-to-door and through small shops on consignment. Eventually, the game became Israel's best-selling export. In the 1970s, Irv and Arline Kossoff brought the game to the United States. Arline translated the rules from Hebrew to English. By 1977, it had become a bestselling game in America.

Rummikub has achieved significant international success and recognition. It won the Spiel des Jahres, or German Game of the Year, in 1980. It also received the Polish Game of the Year award in 1993. The game is part of a broader family of tile and card games. It is similar to central European games like Machiavelli and Vatikan. In Turkey, a popular variant known as Okey is played in cafes and at family gatherings. The game's appeal is often linked to the tactile sensation of snapping tiles onto the table.