How to Play Gin Rummy

Players: 2 · Deck: standard 52 cards; aces are always low · Goal: organize your hand into melds and be first to 100 points.

Melds and deadwood

• Set: three or four cards of the same rank (7-7-7).
• Run: three or more consecutive cards of one suit (4♥-5♥-6♥). A-2-3 counts; Q-K-A does not.
• Deadwood is any card not in a meld. Face cards count 10, aces 1, number cards their value.

The deal

Deal 10 cards each. Place the rest face down as the stock and turn the top card face up to start the discard pile. The non-dealer may take that first upcard; if they pass, the dealer may take it; if both pass, the non-dealer draws from the stock.

Each turn

1. Draw one card, either the top of the stock or the top discard.
2. Discard one card face up. (You can't discard the card you just picked up from the discard pile.)

Knocking and going gin

When your deadwood totals 10 or less, you may knock: discard, then lay out your melds and deadwood. Your opponent lays out theirs and may lay off deadwood onto your melds.

If you have zero deadwood, you've gone gin, and your opponent can't lay off. If the stock runs down to two cards with no knock, the hand is a draw.

Scoring

• Knock: score the difference between the two deadwood totals.
• Gin: 25-point bonus plus your opponent's deadwood.
• Undercut: if the defender's deadwood is equal to or lower than the knocker's, the defender scores the difference plus a 25-point bonus.

First to 100 wins. Many tables add 100 for winning the game and 25 for each hand won. Agree on house rules before you deal.

Tips

• Dump high deadwood (face cards) early.
• Watch what your opponent picks up from the discard pile and don't feed their melds.
• Knock early when you can; waiting for gin gives your opponent time to undercut you.

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