The modern landscape of chance and skill games presents an intriguing spectrum, from traditional card melding to digitally native volatility simulators. Within this spectrum, rummy stands as a canonical example of combinatorial skill, okrummy represents a platformized reinterpretation of rummy conventions, and aviator exemplifies the minimalist, stochastic “crash” mechanic popularized by online gambling. Examining these three through a theoretical lens—rules, representations, incentives, and cognition—clarifies how design choices shape perceived agency, risk, and meaning. Rummy’s core grammar is melding: players draw and discard while assembling sets and runs, balancing short-term information with long-term combinatorial goals. The visible discard pile and hidden hands create an information asymmetry that is nevertheless tractable