Gin Rummy Pro John Hainline

John Hainline is considered one of the top five players to have ever played the game Gin Rummy, with 20 major tournament victories under his belt. His desire to compete came at a young age, and for 20 years he was a PGA golf pro before becoming a professional gambler. Now age 73, John Hainline acts as the director of the Gin Rummy Association, organizing major tournaments in Las Vegas, NV including the game’s most prestigious event, the World Series of Gin Rummy which takes place once a year and is a name trademarked by John Hainline and his wife.

John Hainline’s career in cards started in the 1970’s when he took the game up professionally. He loves poker as well as other card games, but claims nothing compares to the game of Gin. In an interview he gave Inside Edge magazine, John Hainline, said that poker can’t compare with the challenge of Gin. “Gin game depends far less on luck than poker does”, says Hainline: “There are a lot of poker players who are also Gin players. They go back and forth between two games and they all agree that Gin is a better game”.

Hainline was a friend to the late Rummy legend Stu Ungar, who many consider to this day the greatest player to have ever played the game, and he also happens to be just one of a few players who had a positive score against the legend.

Gin Rummy Association

In 1999 John Hainline founded the Gin Rummy Association, which went on to sanction dozens of tournaments in Las Vegas over the years. The first of these tournaments took place January 31, 2000 at Treasure Island Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it was won by Bill Koyle. There were three Gin Rummy Association tournaments held at the same venue in 2000, and three more in 2001.

World Series of Gin Rummy

In 2002 after only one event at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, the venue for the next Gin Rummy Association sanctioned Gin tournament changed to Binions Horseshoe Casino in downtown Las Vegas. At the time Binions was still the owner of the long heralded World Series of Poker brand and billed this April 11, 2002 event as the World Series of Gin Rummy. The event was a success with 126 entrants, and Dick Archer walked away with the championship and the $40,000 in first place prize money.

The first World Series of Gin Rummy to date was the only Gin Rummy Association Event or World Series of Gin Rummy to be held at Binions Horseshoe. The reason for this is unknown; however, many speculate Binions Horseshoe was not willing to support 3-4 Gin tournaments per year and, therefore, a new venue was selected. In 2002, John Hainline along with his wife Lily Hainline patented the term World Series of Gin Rummy. From 2003-2007 the event took place at Riviera Hotel and Casino, before moving to Orleans Hotel and Casino for the 2008 and 2009 Events.

The 2010 World Series of Gin Rummy will take place for May 23-26, and the event will return to its long time home at the Riviera. Seats to this event can be won online at the World’s largest online Rummy Room, RummyRoyal.com

More information about John Hainline, the World Series of Gin Rummy, and the Gin Rummy Association can be found on the Gin Rummy Associations official website located at www.ginrummytournaments.com