' WE'RE ALL MaD HERE. I'M MAD. YoU'RE MAD'. 'HOW DO YOU KNOW I AM MAD ?' SAiD ALICE. 'YOU MUsT BE' S...
' WE'RE ALL MaD HERE. I'M MAD. YoU'RE MAD'. 'HOW DO YOU KNOW I AM MAD ?' SAiD ALICE. 'YOU MUsT BE' SAID THE cAT, 'OR YOU WOULdN'T HAVE COME HeRe.' (LEWIS CARROLL; 'ALICE IN WondERLaND'.)
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Rummikub was developed by a dude called ‘Ephraim Hertzano’ in the early thirties. Initially the rummikub sets were hand made in Hertzano’s backyard, by his immediate family. It was sold door to door in the early fifties; small shops had to be convinced to sell the game. This resulted in a slow but steady growth in the popularity of rummikub. Today Rummikub is the third best selling game in the world. It is sold in 52 countries and is printed in 25 different languages. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rummikub is for 2-4 players aged 8 to adult.
THE CONTEN TS. 106 tiles (8 sets of tiles, 1 – 13 in 4 colours and two jokers) 4 racks Rule manual.
OBJECT OF THE GAME. The object of rummikub is to be the first player to shout out ‘rummikub’; by using up all of there tiles in runs or groups or by having the highest score at the end.
SET-UP. Place the tiles on the table and mix up well. Each player draws a tile; the highest tile determines who plays first (play continues clockwise). The tiles are then returned and mixed up; Each player then takes 14 tiles and places them on their rack. The remaining tiles are the pool.
PLAYING THE GAME. To begin you need
a set of tiles; either a group of numbers or a run; there has to be a minimum of three tiles placed together. A GROUP: this is a set of tiles with the same number; in different colours. For example; red 3, black 3 and orange 3. A RUN: this is a set of tiles that have consecutive numbers; which are all the same colour. For example: red 3, red 4, red 5 and red 6.On your first turn the tiles accumulative total is to be 30 or above. (The first turn is called ‘the initial meld’; during this turn no sets can be manipulated or built on.) If you are unable to play on any turn; you are to draw another tile. Play then passes to the next player.
You can use as many tiles in one turn as you like; manipulating the tiles accordingly. Some ways to do this are to:
Create groups and runs
Adding tiles to sets in play (For example: there is a set of red 1, red, 2, red 3 in play; you have a red 4 on your rack. You can add your red 4 to that set making a run of 1, 2, 3 and 4);
Rearranging the tiles in play (For example: already on the table is set of; red 1, black1, blue 1, yellow 1. You have a red 2 and a red 3 on your rack. You can take the red 1from the set and use it with your tiles for a run of 1, 2, and 3.) The stipulations with tile manipulation are that the sets of tiles in play; have to be left as a minimum of 3 tiles and no loose tiles are to be left over.
The jokers can be used as any number that resembles the colour of the joker. It can be retrieved if you have the tile the joker is supposed to resemble; you can exchange it in your turn and use the joker for yourself.THE WINNER. Once all your tiles have been used up; you shout ‘rummikub’ and you have won the game. Hurrah. Should the tile pool run out and there has yet to be a winner; play continues until nobody can play any more tiles. The player with the least amount of tiles left is the winner.
Rummikub is currently priced at £19.99 in most toy shops and some supermarkets.
Rummikub is amongst my favourite games as it is so practical; very little to set-up and is very easy to grasp. It may sound complicated but once you start playing it will soon become apparent just how simple it is to pick up. Although it may appear quite boring it is actually a lot of fun and is quite challenging. No one game is the same as the next. The average game lasts a maximum of thirty minutes.
To start with the game feels quite slow; but as the sets of tiles build up, more and more manipulations become available … this is where it becomes challenging!
The tile manipulation is probably the most challenging aspect of this game; your skills at manipulation will develop each time you play as you see more and more ways that you can manipulate the tiles in your favour.
I have tactics for this game … so here are some tips; I think it is unwise to play all your usable tiles in one turn as the chances are you will be unable to play when your next turn comes around; leaving you no option but to draw a tile. I try to keep general track of approximately how many tiles my opponents have; so I can see who the strongest player is. When placing my tiles; I try not to open up new runs or introduce a new group of numbers (unless unavoidable) as this just increase’s the options for my opponents. Instead I try to play my tiles one at a time when possible, holding back my groups and runs for as long as I can (tricking my opponents into thinking I have lots of tiles that I am unable to play, lulling them into a false sense of confidence muhahaha); I try to figure out how to manipulate the tiles to accommodate my rouge tiles, then when the opportunity strikes … I put the remaining tiles down in one extravagant turn and thus win the game!
Rummikub is a terrific family game as children grasp it just as easily as adults; with no one having any significant advantage over the other.
Rummikub is a very durable game; the tiles being thick sturdy plastic. Obviously having so many tiles it is so easy to misplace one or two (my dad made a bag with a drawstring to contain them within; this is a splendid idea and reduces the losses!)
I can categorically say ‘I love this game’, I suggest you all; buy it + try it!
~If you took all the rummikub tiles manufactured and placed them end to end; they would circle the earth two and a half times.
~Hollywood stars that play rummikub are Elisabeth Taylor, Don Rickles, Bob Newhart and Telly Savalas; amongst others.
~In 1991 Lemada Light Industry started a tradition; the World Rummikub Championship. The winner wins The Rummikub World Cup and a pair of round the world tickets.
Advantages: Enjoyable, some luck and some careful skill, can be played by people of all ages Disadvantages: The regular version is rather expensive to buy for a simple set of tiles
Kukana 13.08.2003 (19.12.2003)
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