[1] Before the appearance of gin rummy, it was described as "an excellent game for two players, quite different from any other in its principles and requiring very close attention and a good memory to play it well".

Court records published in 1861 suggest that Conquian was well established there in the 1850s,[3] and this is reinforced by an 1857 account of life in Mexico City.

[4] Later, it is recorded in the 1880s in Mexico being played alongside Tuti, Malilla de Campo, Mus and Rentoy.

[5] It continued to be popular into the early 20th century, Mexican politician and military leader, Gonzalo Santos, recalling that "before the Revolution [1910–1920] we had a good life.

We lived out there in Tampamolón and did nothing other than play Conquián or domino in the bars..."[6] By 1852 it had crossed the border into New Mexico, where conquian is included in a list of examples of pastimes that were legally permitted as a "game of recreation".

[7][8] Card game expert and publisher Robert F. Foster traced Conquian back to the early 1860s.

He claims that, in 1873, he was the first to propose that the Kings, Queens and Jacks should be removed, leaving a natural sequence of 10 cards in each suit.

[11][1][2] By 1900, the game had spread to the eastern US and, around 1908, three- and four-player versions initially under the name of Rum emerged which used a full 52-card pack.

By 1912, it had reached England, a variant with 2 packs and 2 Jokers and called Coon Can being popularised by the Bath Club in London.

It is sometimes corrupted to Coon Can,[12][n 1] Cooncan,[12] Conquain,[12] Councan,[12] Conca and Cuncá, a South American variation of the game.

After the deal, the dealer turns up the top card from the remainder of the deck to begin the discard pile.

If using a shortened French pack minus the 8s, 9s and 10s, one scoring system gives face value for 2–7, 10 for jacks, queens and kings, and 15 for aces.

Non-dealer (or 'pone') starts by drawing either the turnup or the top card of the stock and may now meld or 'declare' as many sets or runs as possible (but does not have to), before placing a discard on the wastepile.