The Rummikub game is available in a variety of cases, each of which compactly holds the 106 playing tiles and the racks for four people. That is what makes up the entire set. Over time, some of the most popular and ingeniously devised sets were made to make the racks part of the actual case. It was just another way to make it easier to store and play this brilliant game. The lid of the box slides out to form two racks, while the other two racks for the base. If you slide them out, and attach the two supports to each, you will then have four racks total that will hold up to 24 tiles each.
Of the 106 tiles included, two are Jokers and the remainder of the tiles consists of eight sets in four colors. They are red, blue, yellow, and black. There are two sets of tiles in each color, numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13. Because you need to have plenty of room to play this rather large game, you should play on an area no smaller than a card table.
The general rules are simple. Each player sets up his rack in front of him and the tiles are placed face down on the table. The tiles are thoroughly mixed by shuffling them around with the hands, and then the players arrange them in stacks of seven and line them up to form the pool. The pool provides the tiles which are drawn as the game progresses. The last stack of tiles will contain eight tiles. The use of this extra tile depends on the rules of the individual game in which you are playing.
There are three variations of the game in which you will be playing:
American Rummikub - The simplest of the three versions of Rummikub and the most like traditional rummy games. Once you have learned the basics of American Rummikub, you can adapt what you know to the other rummy games if you choose, or you can vary it with your own rules.
Sabra Rummikub - This adds another facet to the more simple rules of the American version. It is also an easy game to learn, but the extra manipulation allowed makes it a bolder game with aggressive tactics. The action is often quick but demands that you think ahead and visualize the changing configuration of the tiles. There is a strict time limitation in which you will have to make fast and furious plays.
International Rummikub - A highly sophisticated variation of this game, which bears a strong resemblance to Mah-Jongg. It is a challenge to complete a variety of winning patterns and combinations. The scoring is unusual and the ever-changing possibilities of play are thoroughly absorbing.
Both the dealing and the playing always go counter-clockwise. This is because this game, although originally conceived in Romania, really began its journey to the world in Israel, where in Hebrew everything reads backwards info phone remember ringtones send ringtones to your phone cell download free phone ringtones free phone ringtones verizon wireless boost download free mobile ringtones download free alltel ringtones cingular free music ringtones ringtones verizon wireless 24 ringtones theme free ringtones for alltel phone 3 free ringtones sidekick hot new ringtones free ringtones for cricket cell phone yahoo ringtones free download christian music ringtones cingular ringtones free funny voice ringtones 2366i nokia ringtones free logo nokia ringtones download free mosquito ringtones – from right to left. So, Rummikub always goes counter-clockwise because it is staying true to its roots