Gin Rummy – Rules

Play Gin Rummy against the computer

1. Overview

What is it about? Gin Rummy is the classic two-player rummy from the USA. Each player has ten cards and exchanges one card per turn. The aim is to arrange your hand into combinations. Whoever has only a few loose cards left may “knock” and end the hand. Whoever has no loose card at all calls “gin”.

2. Cards and material

• Pack: 52 French cards without jokers.
• Ranking: A (low), 2, 3 … 10, J, Q, K. The ace is always low: A-2-3 is a run, Q-K-A is not.
• Card values (deadwood):

• Face up and face down: Hand cards concealed, discard pile face up, stock face down. When someone knocks, both hands are shown.
• Extra material: Pen and paper.

3. Preparation and start

1. Dealer: By lot; after that the loser of the hand deals.
2. Shuffle and deal: Everyone gets 10 cards.
3. Upcard: The next card is placed face up as the discard, the rest is the stock.
4. First card: The non-dealer may take the upcard. If they decline, the dealer may take it. If both decline, the non-dealer draws from the stock.
5. Start: After that play alternates normally.

Start example: Player 2 deals 10 cards each to Player 1 and himself and turns up the 6 of hearts. Player 1 holds the 7 and 8 of hearts and takes the 6 of hearts at once.

4. Goal and winning

• Hand: Knocking or calling gin ends the hand. The player with less deadwood scores.
• Game: The first to reach 100 points wins.
• Tie: If deadwood is equal after a knock, the defender wins (undercut, see scoring).

5. Play in detail

A turn.

1. Draw: the top card of the stock or the top discard.
2. Discard: one card face up onto the discard pile. A discard you just picked up may not be thrown straight back.

Combinations.

• Set: 3 or 4 cards of the same rank (e.g. three sevens).
• Run: at least 3 cards in sequence of the same suit (e.g. 4-5-6 of spades).
• Each card may count in only one combination.
• All cards not in a combination are deadwood.

Knocking. After drawing, a player with at most 10 points of deadwood may knock. They discard one card face down and show their hand.

• The opponent also shows their combinations.
• The opponent may lay off deadwood onto the knocker's combinations (not after gin).
• Then deadwood is compared.

Gin. If you have no deadwood after discarding, call “gin”. The opponent may not lay off anything.

Example with Players 1 and 2.

1. Player 1 holds: 6-7-8 of hearts, three nines (clubs, spades, diamonds), 2-3-4 of spades and the king of diamonds. That's three combinations and one loose card: king = 10 points.
2. Player 1 draws the 5 of diamonds. He knocks, discarding the king of diamonds face down. Only the 5 of diamonds remains: 5 points of deadwood.
3. Player 2 shows 2-3-4 of hearts and four queens, plus the 9 of hearts, 7 of spades and ace of clubs.
4. Player 2 lays off his 9 of hearts on Player 1's heart run (6-7-8-9). The 7 of spades and ace of clubs remain: 8 points of deadwood.
5. Player 1 has less deadwood: he scores 8 − 5 = 3 points.

6. Scoring

• End of game: Whoever reaches 100 points wins.
• Extra scoring (variant): +100 for the game winner, +25 for each hand won (box), doubled if the opponent won no hand.

7. Special rules and situations

• Stock nearly empty: If only 2 cards are left in the stock and nobody has knocked, the hand ends with no score.
• Laying off: Only the knocker's opponent may lay off, and only onto the knocker's combinations.
• Don't throw back the discard: Whoever takes the discard must throw a different card.
• Knocking with gin: With gin, always call gin – it scores more.
• Wrong knock: A player who knocks with more than 10 points of deadwood must play on with their hand exposed (variant: 25 penalty points).
• Common mistakes: counting Q-K-A as a run; counting cards twice; knocking too early when the opponent is close to gin.

8. Variants

Standard in this description: knock with at most 10 points of deadwood, gin +25, undercut +25, game to 100.

When playing against the computer on cardgames.zone you play to 100 or 50 points and knock with at most 10 or 5 points of deadwood; gin and undercut each score 25 points.

9. Tips for beginners

1. Shed high cards: Face cards as deadwood cost 10 points – discard them early.
2. Watch the discard pile: What your opponent picks up shows what they collect.
3. Hold back dangerous cards: Don't discard a card your opponent obviously needs.
4. Stay flexible: Cards that could fit a run and a set (e.g. the 7 of hearts with 7-7 and the 8 of hearts) are valuable.
5. Knock early: A quick knock with little deadwood often beats waiting for gin.
6. Avoid undercuts: Don't knock if your opponent probably has less deadwood.
7. Keep count: Remember which cards have been discarded.

10. Summary in 10 steps

1. 52 cards, two players, 10 cards each.
2. One card face up as the discard.
3. Draw: stock or discard.
4. Discard one card.
5. Form sets (3–4 of a rank) and runs (3+ in one suit).
6. Ace is low, face cards count 10.
7. Knock with at most 10 points of deadwood.
8. The opponent lays off, then compare.
9. Gin: no deadwood, +25; undercut: +25 for the opponent.
10. First to 100 points wins.

11. Frequently asked questions

Is the ace high or low?

Always low. A-2-3 is a run, Q-K-A is not. As deadwood it counts 1 point.

When may I knock?

When your deadwood after discarding adds up to at most 10 points.

What is an undercut?

If the opponent has equal or less deadwood than the knocker after laying off, they score the difference plus 25 points.

May the opponent lay off after gin?

No. After gin they may not lay off any cards.

What if the stock runs out?

When only two cards remain, the hand ends with no score.

How long does a game take?

To 100 points about 30 to 60 minutes.

Origin & history

Developed in 1909 by Elwood T. Baker and his son C. Graham Baker in New York as a faster variant of Whiskey Poker/Rummy. Popular in the 1930s–40s through Hollywood and radio ('Hollywood Gin'); belongs to the rummy family, whose ancestor is the Mexican Conquian.