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Gin Rummy Rules
Gin Rummy Rules
Gin Rummy is arguably the most popular of all Rummy games. It’s played between 2 people with a standard deck, and each player receiving 10 cards. The value of the cards is identical to Rummy: face cards are 10 points, Aces are 1 point each, and all other cards are counted at their face value. The cards are dealt to the 2 players until each has 10 and the remaining cards are placed facing down. This is the stock.
The hand begins with the first card from the stock being overturned and placed next to the pile. This is the upcard. The first player must decide if he would like to take the upcard. If he decides not to do so, he must take an unexposed card from the stock to add to his hand. Then, he must determine which of his 11 cards (the 10 he was dealt plus the card from the stock) is least valuable to him, discarding it into the discard pile. This ends the first player’s turn.
The second player can choose to take the discarded card or an unexposed card from the stock. Once he has added a card to his hand, he must then determine the least valuable card to get rid of. The hand progresses in this manner, with each player taking turns by choosing to either draw a card from the stock or to retrieve his opponent’s discarded card. Finally, the hand ends when 1 player is able to form melds (sequences or groups) using all of his cards, while discarding his last card.
Knocking And Deadwood
In gin rummy, you can “knock” if, after drawing a card, you can form enough melds whereby your remaining cards (after discarding 1 of them) add up to 10 points or less. These points are called “deadwood.” For example, consider the following hand after drawing a card: J-J-J-J, 10-10-10, 2, 2, 3, 7. A player can knock because the Jacks and 10’s form melds, leaving 14 points. The 7 can be discarded, leaving 7 points (2, 2, 3) of deadwood.
If the player who knocked didn’t simultaneously “go gin” (using all cards in melds), his opponent can lay off any melds held in his hand. The unmelded cards are then counted as deadwood. If the knocker’s deadwood adds up to more than his opponent’s deadwood, the knocker is “undercut.” If the knocker is undercut, his opponent receives the difference in deadwood points, plus a 10-point bonus. Otherwise, the knocker receives the difference in points.
Lastly, if a player goes gin, that player is awarded a 20-point bonus. Typically, games are played to 100 points. Alternatively, the players can agree to play a certain number of hands, after which the person with the most points wins.
If you want to play Gin Rummy online, try out Rummy Royal!
Check out how to play Gin Rummy. For rules of other Rummy games, check out Oklahoma Gin Rummy Rules, Michigan Rummy Rules, Hollywood Rummy Rules, and Shanghai Rummy Rules.
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