Gin rummy rules for beginners. The Gin rummy card game rules indicate that cards can only be dealt for 2 players, and they’ll be given 10 cards each. The first one should take a card and add it to his/her pile. Cards can be taken from either the discard pile (facing up), or from the stock (face down). Gin rummy, or simply gin, is a two-player card game created in 1909 by Elwood T. Baker and his son C. It is a variant of rummy.It has enjoyed widespread popularity as both a social and a gambling game, especially during the mid twentieth century, and remains today one of the most widely-played two-player card games.

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1. Gin Rummy is played with a 52 card deck, the wild cards (jokers) are not used. It is best to use two decks, so that while one player deals the cards, the opponent can shuffle the other deck.
2. The objective of Gin Rummy is to collect cards into melds and have as little deadwood as possible at the end of a game. The game is scored based on how much deadwood you have at the end of each game. A game can span several rounds, it's over when one player reaches 100 points.

What is Gin Rummy?

Gin Rummy, sometimes simply called “Gin”, is one of the most popular card games in the world. The rules of the Gin Rummy card game are part of its appeal, seemingly complex but easy to understand. As with other Rummy games, Gin Rummy is a game about building a winning hand by managing discards. The following guide covers this in further detail.

How to Play Gin Rummy?

Gin Rummy is a game for 2 players, and can be played using the standard Anglo-American 52-card Poker deck. The game is one of the most popular variants of Rummy, and follows similar rules but with streamlining for a more fast paced game. Gin Rummy is less a game about chance, and more about making informed decisions.

Dealing

The dealer is determined by splitting cards, and the player getting a higher card becomes the dealer. Each player is then dealt 10 cards each. The remaining cards are placed aside to form the draw pile. The discard pile is then created by revealing the top of the draw pile.

Winning

The goal of the Gin Rummy card game is to form sets and sequences in your hand. Sets are cards of the same rank, but from a different suit. Sequences are consecutive cards from the same suit. Examples of sets and sequences are shown below.

A straight of 5 cards:
7♠ 8♠ 9♠ 10♠ J♠

A set of 4 cards:
2♠ 2♦ 2♣ 2♥

Unlike more traditional Rummy games, Gin Rummy can be prematurely ended by calling Knock or Gin. These will be discussed in their respective sections. The game ends once a player reaches 100 points.

Turns

Each turn, a player will draw 1 card. They can choose to draw from either the top of the draw pile or the discard pile. To end a turn, a player will discard 1 card of their choosing from their hand. Essentially, a player will always have 10 cards outside of their turns.

The non-dealer goes first, but the first revealed card can be claimed by either player to start their turn. If the non-dealer passes, the dealer gets the opportunity to claim that card.

When a player is satisfied with their hand, they can choose to end the round by either knocking or calling gin. This is indicated by discarding a card face-down at the end of a turn. The instructions for each are shown below.

Knocking

Knocking can only be done when the total value of unmatched cards in hand is lower than 10. The card values are shown in the Scoring section of the guide.

The player who knocks will reveal his hand with the melded combinations set aside. The other player then shows their hand, and gets a chance to lay off.

Laying Off

Laying off can be done in response to a player knocking. The knocking player cannot lay off. The player responding to the knock can play their unmatched cards into the melds of the knocking player. An example of a lay off is shown in the Hands section of the guide.

Since knocking off triggers the point calculation of the round, laying off allows a player to lower the amount of points granted to the knocking player. Points are awarded based on the difference between the value of unmatched cards, also known as the deadwood in hand.

Undercut

The undercut occurs when a player responding to a knock has less value in their deadwood cards after laying off than the knocking player. An example is shown below.

If an undercut occurs, the responding player gets awarded 10 points, as well as the point difference.

Gin

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Calling gin is only allowed when there are no deadwood cards in hand. In other words, a player that calls Gin only has sets and sequences in hand. When gin is called, there is no lay off phase, and the player that calls gin gets a bonus of 30 points.

Big Gin

Knocking and calling gin occurs at the end of a turn. If a player has gin in hand, but chooses to risk a draw, they can call Big Gin. This is when the drawn card fits into the melds in hand, leaving no deadwood. This awards 50 points instead.

Gin Rules

Gin Rummy has specific rules that apply to specific situations, ensuring smooth gameplay.

Knock rules

Knocks can only be called if the total value of deadwood cards are less than 10. A player does not need to knock when their deadwood value is less than 10, they can choose to continue drawing to improve their hand further. The player who knocked cannot lay off cards to their opponent.

Gin/Big Gin rules

Gins can only be called when the value of deadwood is 0. When a player calls gin, the lay off phase is skipped. Due to the nature of the game, undercut is impossible, since there is no value lower than 0.

Undercut rules

Undercuts occur when the opposing player has a lower deadwood value than the knocking player. If both players have the same deadwood value, it is considered an undercut, and the undercut bonus goes to the responding player.

Melding rules

Melds have to consist of 3 cards or more. Depending on the variation of Gin Rummy being played, melds of 6 or more cards are not allowed.

Summary

In summary, the Gin Rummy rules are:

• Dealer is determined via deck splitting.
• Each player is dealt 10 cards each, 1 card at a time.
• The next card in the deck is placed face-up, forming the discard pile.
• The non-dealer goes first, and draws 1 either from the top of the draw or discard pile.
• When a player is satisfied with their hand, they can call for a knock or gin.
• A player can only call for a knock when their deadwood card value is less than 10.
• A player can respond to a knock by laying off cards into the melds of another player.
• A player cannot respond to gins.

Scoring & Deadwood

Gin Rummy scoring is based on the difference in deadwood value, as well as bonuses awarded from the undercut, gin and big gin. The typical scores for each are shown below:

• Undercut: 10 points
• Gin: 30 points
• Big Gin: 50 points

Apart from the bonuses, deadwood value is considered. These will fall below 10 points, since knocks can only be called with a deadwood value below 10. The calculation of deadwood value is shown below:

• 2 – 10: Face Value
• 10 – K: 10 points
• Ace: 1 point
• Joker: 20 points (when included)

Note that when a tie of deadwood score happens on a knock, the undercut is still awarded to the responding player.

The game ends with the first player reaching 100 points being granted the win.

Hands

Gin Rummy hands are all about building a winning hand, minimizing deadwood value by discarding unmatched cards each turn. Once a satisfactory hand is built, a player can knock, or in rare cases, call gin with a hand of only melds.

Melds have to include 3-5 cards, and examples are shown below:

A straight of 5 cards:
7♠ 8♠ 9♠ 10♠ J♠

A set of 4 cards:
8♠ 8♦ 8♣ 8♥

Illegal set of 2 cards:
7♦ 7♣

An example hand and the layoff phase is shown below. In this case, Player 1 calls for a knock.

Before the lay off phase, Player 1 clearly wins via score, but player 2 can lay off their J♥ and 7♥ to the first meld in Player 1’s hand. The updated scores are:

It can be observed that Player 2 now has less deadwood than Player 1. Hence, Player 2 has successfully undercut Player 1. Thus, Player 2 is awarded the difference of 4 points, along with the bonus of 10 points, getting a sum of 14 points this round.

Strategy & Tips

• The basis of Gin Rummy strategy is knowing when to knock. Ideally, a low Deadwood value is a good indicator that it is time to knock.
• Carefully consider discards. Sequences are easier to complete than sets, so do not hesitate to break sets during discards.
• Each card can only be used for 1 meld.
• Consider drawing from the discard pile. With the discard pile, you know for certain the card you will get, as opposed to the unknown draw pile.
• Count cards, since the standard deck does not have duplicates, you can make more informed decisions.
• Be careful when knocking. If your hand has simple sets to extend, the opposing player can lay off their cards.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many cards are dealt in Gin Rummy?

Each player receives 10 cards at the start of each round.

Rummy vs Gin Rummy; what is the difference?

Rummy can be played by 2-6 players, whereas Gin Rummy is suitable for 2-4 players. Rummy also has more specific conditions for winning.

Can Gin Rummy be played with 3 players?

Yes. Gin Rummy can be adapted to 2-4 players by changing the starting deal amount.

How to win at Gin Rummy every time?

Counting cards, much like in other card games, can help you win more.

What is deadwood in Gin Rummy?

Deadwood refers to the unmatched cards in hand, and are used for point calculation.

What are Aces worth in Gin Rummy

Aces are worth 1 point in Gin Rummy.

What is the significance of the name and how did it become famous?

Some versions of the history of the game claim its origin to be in the 20^th century. It is believed the game’s name came from its inventor’s fondness of the alcoholic drink of Gin. The game became popular when it was adopted by Hollywood’s elite and famous movie stars back in the 1930’s. They liked playing this thrilling and fast game on the set during takes.

Another reason for the Rummy games’ popularity is believed to be from the great depression period, when people did not have many financial resources to engage in outdoor entertainment activities, and turned to different ways to spend quality time with family and friends indoors.

Also see:

Gin rummy, or simply gin, is a two-player card game created in 1909 by Elwood T. Baker and his son C. Graham Baker.^[1] It is a variant of rummy. It has enjoyed widespread popularity as both a social and a gambling game, especially during the mid twentieth century, and remains today one of the most widely-played two-player card games.

History[edit]

Magician and writer John Scarne believes gin rummy to have evolved from 19th-century whiskey poker (a game similar to Commerce, with players forming poker combinations^[2]) and to have been created with the intention of being faster than standard rummy but less spontaneous than knock rummy.^[3]

David Parlett finds Scarne's theory to be 'highly implausible', and considers the game of Conquian to be gin rummy's forerunner.^[2]

Deck[edit]

Gin rummy is played with a standard 52-card pack of cards. The ranking from high to low is King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace.

Objective[edit]

The objective in gin rummy is to score points and reach an agreed number of points or more, usually more than 100, before the opponent does.

The basic game strategy is to improve one's hand by forming melds and eliminating deadwood. Gin has two types of meld: Sets of 3 or 4 cards sharing the same rank, e.g. 8♥8♦8♠; and runs of 3 or more cards in sequence, of the same suit, such as 3♥4♥5♥ or more. Deadwood cards are those not in any meld. Aces are considered low—they can form a set with other aces but only the low end of runs (A♠2♠3♠ is a legal run but Q♠K♠A♠ is not). A player can form any combination of melds within their hand; all sets, all runs, or some sets and some runs.

The deadwood count is the sum of the point values of the deadwood cards—aces are scored at 1 point, face cards at 10, and others according to their numerical values. Intersecting melds are not allowed; if a player has a three-card set and a three-card run sharing a common card, only one of the melds counts, and the other two cards count as deadwood. For example; within the five cards 7♣7♠7♦8♦9♦, the seven of diamonds can be included in the set (7♣7♠7♦) or included in the run (7♦8♦9♦), but it cannot be included in both.

Dealing[edit]

Dealership alternates from round to round, with the first dealer chosen by any agreed upon method. The dealer deals 10 cards to each player one at a time starting with their opponent, and then places the next card in the deck face up. This begins the discard pile. The face down pile is known as the stock pile.

Playing[edit]

On the first turn of the round, the non-dealing player has first option of taking the upcard on the discard pile or passing. If the non-dealing player takes the upcard, they must then discard a different card to the discard pile. The player acting second can take the top card from the pile of their choice. However, if the non-dealing player passes the upcard, the dealer is given the opportunity to take the upcard or pass. If the dealer also passes, the non-dealing player must draw from the stock pile, then the next turn and after, players can draw from the pile of their choice.

On each subsequent turn, a player must draw either the (face-up) top card of the discard pile, or the (face-down) top card from the stock pile, and discard one card from their hand onto the discard pile.

Players alternate taking turns until one player ends the round by knocking, going Gin, or until only two cards remain in the stock pile, in which case the round ends in a draw and no points are awarded. The game ends when a player reaches 100 or more points (or another established amount). In tournament rules the game is played in best of five with 250 points per game.^[4]

Knocking[edit]

In standard gin, only a player with 10 or fewer points of deadwood may knock. Knocking with 0 points of deadwood is known as going Gin or having a Gin hand, while knocking with deadwood points is known as going down.^[5]

To knock, the knocking player discards as usual, announces knocking (generally by simply placing a discard face down), and the hand is laid out with the melds clearly indicated and deadwood separated. The other ('defending') player is then entitled to lay out any melds in their hand and can then lay off any of their remaining deadwood cards that fit into the knocking player's melds, provided that the knocking player does not have a gin hand.

For example, the knocking player has a meld of three Kings. The defending player's deadwood has a king. The player can lay off that king, reducing the deadwood count by ten. The knocking player can never lay off their deadwood into the defending player's melds. Once a player knocks or declares gin the round is over and scores are tallied, players cannot draw.

The knocking player then subtracts their deadwood points from the defending player's deadwood points. The result is the number of points the knocking player receives. An undercut occurs if a player knocks and the defending player's deadwood points are less than or equal to the knocking player's. In this case the defending player receives an undercut bonus (usually 25 points) plus the difference in deadwood points. If the defending player has less or equal deadwood to the knocking player's deadwood after laying off any of their deadwood, then it is still a valid undercut.

Gin[edit]

If all 10 cards in a player's hand fit into melds and thereby the player has no deadwood, they can choose to go Gin in which case the round ends and the player going Gin receives a Gin bonus of 25 points (or another established amount) plus any deadwood points in the opponent's hand. The defending opponent can only lay out their melds and cannot lay off any deadwood into the melds of an opponent that has declared Gin. A player can go Gin with a hand of three or fewer melds as long as all cards fit into a meld. Players can also have an 11 card gin, see Big Gin Variant below.

Big Gin[edit]

Gin hands normally consist of 10 cards. However, if a player chooses to draw so that 11 cards fit into melds, they can declare Big Gin in which case the player receives a Big Gin bonus of 31 points (or another established amount, commonly 50 points instead of the standard 31 points, depending on rule set) plus any deadwood in the opponent's hand.

Scoring[edit]

Aces are scored at 1 point, face cards at 10, and all other cards are scored at their numerical values. The number of points awarded for bonuses may vary from region to region. No matter what the bonus amounts are, points are scored in Gin for the following:

Knock points

After a player knocks, and the layoffs are made, the knocking player receives a score equal to the difference between the two hands. For example, if a player knocks with 8, and the defender has 10 deadwood points in their hand after laying off, the knocking player receives 2 points for the hand. If a player is able to knock before any cards are accepted, it is considered a misdeal.

Gin bonus

After going gin, a player receives a bonus of 25 points plus the entire count of deadwood in the opponent's hand. There is no chance to lay off when a player goes gin.

Undercut (or underknocking)

Occurs when the defending player has a deadwood count lower than or equal to that of the knocking player (this can occur either naturally or by laying off after a knock). In this case, the defender scores an undercut bonus of 25 points plus the difference in deadwood in the knocking player's hand. (In some rule sets, the bonus is only 10 or 20 points, or is not awarded in case of a tie.)

Game bonus

Once a player has acquired 500 points (or some other agreed-upon number) the game is over, and that player receives a game bonus of 100 points (or another agreed-upon number).

Line bonus or box bonus

Added at the end of the game. For every hand a player won during the game, 25 points is added to their score.

Big gin

Prior to knocking, if all 11 cards in a player's hand form a legal gin, the player can retain the extra card as part of their hand, and is awarded 31 points plus entire count of deadwood in their opponent's hand. (In some rule sets players may be awarded 50 points or another established amount plus the entire count of deadwood in the opponent's hand)

Shutout bonus

If a game is completed with the winner having won every hand, the points for each hand are doubled before adding the line bonus.

In some variations, if the winning player beats the losing player by exactly 50 points, the winning player must forfeit the match.

Variations[edit]

Straight gin[edit]

In straight gin, players are required to play until one of them can go gin. Knocking is not allowed. Scoring and rules remain the same as standard gin rummy.

Mahjong gin[edit]

Similar to straight gin, knocking is not allowed. However, more than one card may be taken, in order, from the top of the discard pile. If more than one card is taken, the lowest position card taken must be used in a hand: e.g. <bottom> 8♠3♥5♥ <top of discard> 8♠ is the lowest position card and must be used in a hand; continue with one discard). Cards are shown to the table, with opponents being able to add on to straights of the same suit or finish a three of a kind with the fourth card for points. After a player has gin, points are added, with cards on the table being added up and cards in hand being subtracted. The player who gins receives 25 additional points, 2 through 9 = 5 points, 10 through K = 10 points, A = 15 points.

Oklahoma gin[edit]

In this version of gin rummy, the value of the first upcard is used to determine the maximum count at which players can knock. If the upcard is a spade, the hand will count double. So if the first upcard was a 4, you can knock and go out with only 4 or fewer points in your hand; and if the card was 4♠, you would get double points that hand.

Another version in this variation (mostly in match play) and in Hollywood gin (see below), a second deck of cards will be used to determine the knock value of a hand. The knock value card will be dealt from the bottom and turned over on top. Above rules apply but both players are dealt ten cards with the last hand winner picking first from the deck.

Hollywood gin[edit]

This is a scoring style, not a rules change to the game of gin. In Hollywood gin, scoring is kept for three different games at the same time. A player's first win will be recorded in their column in Game One. A player's second win will be recorded in their columns for both Game One and Game Two. Their third win will be recorded in their column for all three games. Hands are played until all three games are finished.

Tedesco gin[edit]

Similar to Oklahoma gin, except aces can be used high or low, and runs can be formed 'around the corner' (such as K♠A♠2♠). If you are caught with an unmelded ace, it counts as 15 points against you. Hollywood scoring of three games to 200 when playing head-to-head or with two-person teams. Three-person teams play to 300, 25 points extra if all three teammates win. 50 points for four-person team, etc. This is a more complex gin game for all levels of player.

Single match[edit]

When a single match is to be played, the players will continue to play rounds until one player has 100 points or more. This player wins the match.

Multi-match[edit]

In multi-match games, match scores are reset to zero with the start of each match, while game scores accumulate until a predetermined winning score is reached, perhaps 500 or higher. Each individual match ends when one player scores 100 match points. At the end of the match, players' match scores are credited toward their game scores, as well as:

• 25 game points for each individual round won,
• 100 game points to the winner of the match, and
• 100 bonus game points to the match winner if the loser won no rounds.

Notable players[edit]

• Stu Ungar, widely regarded as the greatest gin rummy player of all time, was described by many as having a near clairvoyant ability to see his opponents' hands. Ungar's almost total dominance of the game during the 1970s and 1980s is thought to have been a factor in the decline of gin rummy as a tournament game in Las Vegas and other gambling venues. (Ungar eventually switched to poker.) ^[6][7]
• Oswald Jacoby, best known as a contract bridge and backgammon champion, also played high-stakes gin rummy and wrote several books on the game.
• Ernie Kovacs, the comedian and television pioneer, published a book in 1962 called How to Talk at Gin.

Fictional characters

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• The villain Auric Goldfinger cheats at gin rummy in the key introduction scene of the James Bond film Goldfinger (1964), with the help of an accomplice looking at the opponent's cards through binoculars.^[8] The film script changed the game to gin rummy from two-handed Canasta in the source novel by Ian Fleming.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'C.G. Baker, Helped Devise Gin Rummy'. New York Times. May 17, 1950. Retrieved May 22, 2008. C. Graham Baker, writer and producer of motion pictures and co-creator of the card game gin rummy, died today at his home in Reseda in the San Fernando Valley. ...
2. ^ ^ab'Parlett's Historic Card Games: Gin Rummy - David Parlett'.
3. ^Scarne, John (2008). Scarne on Card Games: How to Play and Win at Poker, Pinochle, Blackjack, Gin and Other Popular Card Games. Courier Dover Publications. p. 37. ISBN978-0-486-43603-6.
4. ^Hainline, John; Hainline, Lily Ann (2018). 'Gin Rummy Rules for Tournament Play'(PDF). ginrummytournaments.com. Palm Desert: Gin Rummy Association. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
5. ^'Glossary of gin rummy terms'. rummytalk.com.
6. ^Ungar, Stu (June 29, 2006). One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stu Ungar (documentary). USA: Szymanski, Al.
7. ^Michael Konik (April 1, 1999). 'The Gin Mill'. Cigar Aficionado. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
8. ^'Goldfinger (1964) - Miami hotel pool scene'. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via YouTube.

External links[edit]

• Rules of gin rummy at Pagat.com