The Science of Rummy

The Science of Rummy

Rummy…a Science …no way! This would be the reaction of most people and it’s not surprising either. What does the word ‘Science’ conjure in your mind? An image of a telescope? Spectacled scientists in white lab coats poring over microscopes? Colourful chemicals bubbling away in beakers? A zoologist peering at a unique and interesting-looking bug with a magnifying glass? Or thick textbooks full of complicated equations? Science has so many facets that it is a difficult task to find a perfect description that explains its definition. So, what does this have to do with Rummy? 

Let’s find out:

• Science is an ongoing process. So is Rummy. Just as in science, the learning process is unending, similarly Rummy teaches numerous life lessons and the more you play, the more you learn.
• Science is a process of observation. Keen observation skills are an advantage for any rummy player. For example, when you play the rummy card game, acutely observing the cards that are picked or discarded by an opponent from the open deck, gives a good idea about the opponent’s requirements.
• Rummy is exciting, thrilling, stimulating, exhilarating. The list of adjectives goes on… Ask any rummy enthusiast and surely he/ she will agree. Ask any scientist in the pursuit of his/ her field of specialisation, and it will be to no one’s surprise that these words can be used in their context too. It is the thrill of discovery, the exhilaration of finding out how things work and the excitement of getting their theories validated that keeps them going!  
• Science teaches you to be organised and methodical in order to classify, record and arrange facts and figures in a systematic manner. Every good Rummy player too needs to be methodical, right from grouping cards according to rank and value to arranging cards into sets and sequences.
• Adaptability is a virtue every good scientist must possess. The more efficiently and quickly one understands that a new approach or plan of action needs to be implemented to get the desired result, the chances of success are definitely better. A good rummy player too needs to adapt and change his playing strategy to counter his opponents and inch closer to victory. For example, when you play the rummy game, discard the face cards if unused instead of holding onto them too long as they affect the final score.
• Mastering the ‘Art of Patience’ is the secret to success. Every scientific breakthrough is the result of years and years of back-breaking work and tons of patience. Rummy too teaches you to never give up. Even though every player definitely faces several challenges and hurdles in the beginning, endurance, patience and resolve ultimately win the day!

The list goes on……Just as Science cannot be described in a few chosen words, neither can Rummy. The principles that science incorporates are applicable to Rummy as well. Rummy is just not about winning or playing a game, or a mere sport to indulge in, it is much more!