Rummy and Romance: A Special Bond Rummy is a card game that has been played for centuries & has a long and varied history dating back to the early 1800s. It iwin 101 downloads thought that the game first appeared in Mexico under the names "Concentration" and "Concentration Rummy.". As it traveled across borders, it changed a lot & took on the various forms that we know today. Rummy arrived in the US by the late 1800s & quickly became very popular there, especially among social circles.