My life partner, Kimball, and I recently added the Rummy card game to our pastimes. Kimball is a skilled rummy player with good intuition. I learned a lot about the game by watching how he plays. What I admire most about Kimball’s Rummy play is he doesn’t care about winning or losing. He just enjoys trying his strategy and finding out if it works. Because he is not attached to a result of the game, he often makes a bold or even risky move that could leave him with a big loss.
Interestingly, it usually works well for him. For example, he picks up many cards from the discard pile (which is tricky, especially toward the end of the game) only to make several high-scored sets or sequences. I call his way of playing Rummy Kimball Style (remember Gangnam Style?).
Many of us don’t like losing in card games or in real life. Winning is uplifting, empowering, and rewarding while losing punches us with embarrassment, self-doubt, and loss of confidence.
Playing Rummy or participating in life becomes fun if we adopt Kimball Style.
How to play in Kimball Style:
Let go of expectation or attachment to a result and play your hand the best.
Don’t be afraid of taking a risk to create more possibilities.
Be flexible to try a new approach or change strategy in the middle of the game.
You never know if you win or lose until the very end.
Winning and losing streaks happen. Take a break when you feel things are not going as you plan or wish.
Laugh aloud when you win. Laugh aloud when you lose too. Enjoy the game/life itself, regardless of the outcome.
It’s time to play!
50