How to Play Gin Rummy: Card Game Rules & Interactive Tutorial

Gin Rummy is a two-player "draw and discard" card game. The players make choices with the goal of accumulating their cards into "melds." For a 4-player version, try Rummy. For another great two-player game, check out Cribbage.

A meld is a group of 3 or more cards that belong together. There are two types of melds, "sets" and "runs." Cards in sets have the same rank. Cards in runs have the same suit, with cards ranked in consecutive order.

For example, a "run" of the Ace of Hearts, 2 of Hearts, and 3 of Hearts is a valid meld (3 cards of the same suit in consecutive order). A "set" of the Queen of Clubs, Queen of Diamonds, and Queen of Spades is another possible meld. Note that the Ace is always a low card so that it cannot be placed next to the King to form a meld.

Cards in your hand that do not belong to any melds are called "deadwood" cards. By forming melds, players minimize the number of points that they have due to deadwood cards.

Below you'll find a thorough explanation of the rules, and above, you'll find an interactive tutorial to help you learn how to play Gin Rummy. Whichever way you choose, you should be well-acquainted with the rules in no time.

Once you're familiar with the rules, you can play Gin Rummy Online for free at World of Card Games. You have the option to play against other people online or with friends. We recommend playing a couple of games against our bots before playing against other people, but that's up to you.

Let the Gin Rummy extravaganza begin!

Gin Rummy at a glance

A two player race to shape your hand into sets and runs before your opponent knocks.

Rank of cards

Cards run from Ace (low) up to King. For deadwood, an Ace counts 1 point, number cards count their face value, and face cards (Jack, Queen, King) count 10 points each.

Objective

The objective is to be the first player to reach 100 points and win with a high score.

Deal

For the initial hand, a random player is chosen to be the dealer. After the first hand, the dealer is always the "loser" of the previous hand (the player who was not awarded points).

Each player is dealt a hand of 10 cards from a standard deck of 52 cards. The deck is then placed face down on the table. The player opposite the dealer goes first.

Consider Up Card

One card is dealt from the deck face up for all to see.

The dealer's opponent may "Accept" the up card, and take it into their hand or "Pass." When picking the up card, you must finish your turn by discarding some other card, not the up card which you just picked. After discarding, the other player's turn begins.

If the non-dealer passed, the dealer now considers the up card, either choosing to "Accept" it or "Pass." If accepting, they must discard another card. Then it is their opponent's turn.

If both players pass, then the non-dealer must draw an unknown card from the deck. Then, they must follow by discarding any card from their hand. It is permitted to discard the card that they just picked because it was not the face-up card.

Play

After the initial phase, play continues with each player choosing to pick either the up card or an unknown card from the deck. This is slightly different from the opening, where both players had to consider the up card before anyone could draw from the deck.

Players must always discard a card after picking. After the discard, it is their opponent's turn to play.

Knocking

If your deadwood totals 10 points or less after you discard, you may "Knock." The knocker displays their melds and their deadwood cards. Their opponent also displays any melds in their hands at that time. If they have any deadwood cards that can be added to the knocker's melds, they may do so, which can reduce their deadwood points. This process is called "laying off" the deadwood.

For example, if the knocker has a meld of three Tens, and their opponent has the remaining Ten, the opponent may "lay off" their Ten against the knocker's meld. This reduces the opponent's deadwood points by 10.

Scoring

At the end of the hand you'll count your Gin Rummy scoring. Deadwood card points are counted for the knocker and their opponent. If the knocker's points are lower, they are awarded the difference in points.

If the knocker has the same or higher deadwood points than their opponent, they have been "undercut." The difference in points is awarded to their opponent, as well as an additional 10-point bonus!

A knocker who has no deadwood is said to have "gone gin," which is especially fortunate. In this case, their opponent is not allowed to lay off deadwood against their melds. The knocker is awarded their opponent's deadwood points, and they also get a 20-point bonus!

Game End

When a player reaches 100 points, the game stops. The final score is computed by adding together the following points for each player:

• Points acquired during the game, +
• A "winner's bonus" of 100 points to the player who reached 100 points first. 200 points are awarded if their opponent does not win any hands at all, +
• A "line bonus" of 20 points per hand won is awarded to each player.

The rules in practice

Melds are the heart of the game. Say you hold the 7, 8 and 9 of Hearts along with three Kings. That's a run and a set, so six of your ten cards are accounted for. The other four are deadwood. If they're the Ace of Spades, 2 of Diamonds, 3 of Clubs and 4 of Spades, your deadwood totals 10 points, which is exactly low enough to knock. Notice that those same low cards in a single suit would have formed a run instead of deadwood.

The first up card follows its own little ritual. Suppose the 7 of Diamonds is turned face up. The non-dealer decides first whether to take it. If they pass, the dealer gets the same offer. If both pass, the non-dealer must draw from the deck instead. And whenever you take the up card, you must end your turn by discarding a different card. Only a card drawn face down from the deck may be discarded straight away.

Knocking doesn't automatically win the hand. Say you knock with 8 deadwood points while your opponent holds 15, including the fourth Ten that matches your set of Tens. They lay that Ten off onto your meld, which drops their deadwood to 5. Now they're below you, so you've been undercut. They score the 3-point difference plus a 10-point bonus. Going gin removes this danger completely, because no layoffs are allowed against a gin hand.

Strategy basics

A few habits will carry you a long way in your first games.

• Only take the up card when it completes a meld. Your opponent sees what you take and will hold back the cards you're collecting.
• Shed unmatched face cards early. At 10 points each, they're the deadwood that hurts most when a hand ends.
• Read your opponent's discards. Cards similar to what they throw away are usually safe for you to throw too.
• Keep your deadwood count in mind on every turn. A hand can end suddenly when your opponent knocks.
• Remember that Aces are low. Ace, 2, 3 of one suit is a run, but Queen, King, Ace is not.

History

Gin Rummy was reportedly invented in 1909 by a Whist teacher named Elwood T. Baker, and his son, Charles Graham Baker.

Frequently asked questions

Who goes first in Gin Rummy?

The non-dealer, the player sitting opposite the dealer. They get the first chance at the opening up card, and the dealer only gets a chance at it if the non-dealer passes. The very first dealer is chosen at random.

Can I discard the card I just drew?

That depends on where it came from. A card drawn face down from the deck may be discarded right away. If you took the face-up card, you must discard a different card from your hand.

Is the Ace high or low in Gin Rummy?

Always low. It's worth 1 point as deadwood and sits below the 2 in runs, so Ace, 2, 3 of a suit is a valid run while King, Ace, 2 is not.

Who deals the next hand?

The loser of the previous hand, meaning the player who wasn't awarded points, deals the next one. Since the non-dealer moves first, winning a hand also earns you the first move of the next one.

What happens if both players pass on the first up card?

The non-dealer must draw an unknown card from the deck and then discard any card, including the one they just drew. Normal play continues from there, with each player drawing either the up card or a deck card and then discarding.

Helpful Links

Pagat.com Gin Rummy Page