Few people younger than 40 realise that before poker, gin rummy was pretty much the card game of choice for hard-core gamblers and casual players alike, from the 1920s through to the early ’70s. However, its glamour faded and poker slowly but surely swept gin rummy into a corner. Part of the reason for its demise was that it’s considered too skilful. Gin rummy retains the elements of chance necessary to make it encouraging to all newcomers, but it’s ultimately about common sense and keen observation. And nowhere is this more evident than in the decision-making regarding discards.

At the start of a game, you arrange your cards into melds and draws, and try to identify your most useless cards for discarding.