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Khanhoo Rummy? Never Heard Before?

What is hot in the gaming menu these days? Rummy of course! The love for this game and the way it has millions under its spell intrigued me. So where did it all start? In my quest to know some more about it, I came across some amusing stuff. 

Interesting past!

Rummy can be seen to have its origins in Asia. There existed a card game that was played in the same pick and drop style and it dates back to about 1000 years. During the Ming dynasty it was called Kanhu in China. In the 19th century it came to be called Khanhoo. It is also related to Conquian, a Mexican card game, the earliest known western Rummy. There is a possibility that Rummy may have travelled to India from China. Rummy seems to have some noteworthy ancestors. Present day Khanhoo is a result of the modification of the original version by a British diplomat, William Henry in 1891. 

So how is it related to Indian Rummy? 

Since they belong to the same game type, the objective remains the same – To get rid of the cards in the process of melding them. Khanhoo is designed to accommodate 2 or 3 players. But there also exists a 4 player Khanhoo which has a different set of rules. 

The Khanhoo deck explained

A deck of 61 cards is required which is formed with the help of two 52 card decks. You have to remove all the 10s, the face cards in ♥(Hearts), ♠(Spades), ♦(Diamonds) and all the remaining cards from ♣(Clubs). Shuffle these reduced decks and add one joker to the mix. Voila! you have a Khanhoo deck! The deck now has a joker, 2 Js, Qs and Ks of ♣(Clubs), 2 sets of aces through 9s from the rest of the three suits. 

How do you play Khanhoo?

Shuffle well and deal 15 cards to every player. The player to the left of the dealer gets a 16th card as well and will be the one to begin the game. The remaining deck will be in the center. The game then follows the draw and discard method similar to Rummy. The goal is to get rid of all the cards by melding and the first player to do that earns 5 points and in that way one who reaches 50 points wins the game. And that is attained after playing 2 to 4 rounds. In contrast to Rummy, here one has to show the melded cards after picking a discarded card by the other player. This is to show why they needed that card. But it need not be done when a card is drawn from a stockpile. 

Bumping takes place when a player intervenes by claiming a discard before the actual player in line can claim. This is allowed only if that player can use it in a meld which is not a sequence. 

ALSO READ: How Is Rummy Promoted On Social Media?

Melding in this game is very different and interesting!

• Sequence: e.g., 6♥ – 7♥ – 8♥. In this game, sequences cannot have face cards or clubs. Also, Aces are considered of low value in the sequences. (points – 1)
• Aces: A♠ – A♥ – A♦. (points – 1) 
• Triplet: 3 number cards of the same suit, 3 number cards of different suits. (points – 2) 
• Royal assembly: J-Q-K♣. (points – 3)
• Court melds: K♣-9♥-9♥, Q♣-8♠-8♠, or J♣-7♦-7♦ (points – 4 each)
• Khanhoo: A♥-2♠-3♦. (points – 5)
• Doubles: Aces – six aces of any rank (points – 10), Royal: J-J-Q-Q-K-K♣ (points – 10), Khanhoo – A-A♥-2-2♠-3-3♦ (points – 15)

Memorization is the key!

A player should remember the cards that were already played to have a precise idea as to what combinations cannot be made anymore. 

Once a player finishes, they may discard one final card and place it face down to announce that they have finished. This is followed by the rest of them revealing their hand as well. And the scores shall be counted. 

Doesn’t this sound like a fun game? A variation from our regular game! Don’t miss out on playing Khanhoo, this New year to stir up some high voltage fun! For more such stories keep reading GutshotMagazine.com. Follow us on Facebook, Telegram and Instagram.

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