How to Play Gin Rummy

Gin Rummy is a two-player card game about building useful combinations while leaving as few unmatched cards as possible. You need a normal deck of cards, and you can find a regular deck of playing cards from Playmore. This guide uses one common standard version; house rules can vary, so agree on small differences before you begin.

Quick facts

Players	2
Cards	One standard 52-card deck; no jokers
Hand size	10 cards per player
Goal	Make sets and runs, then score points
Usual game target	100 points

What you are trying to do

Your aim is to arrange your cards into melds, which are valid groups. A set is three or four cards of the same rank, such as three 8s in different suits. A run is three or more cards in order and in the same suit, such as the 4, 5, and 6 of hearts. Each card may belong to only one meld, and an ace is always low: ace-2-3 works, but queen-king-ace does not.

Cards that are not part of a meld are called deadwood. You want your deadwood to have a low total. If all ten cards fit into melds, you have gin, the strongest way to end a hand. You can also end by knocking when your deadwood is worth 10 points or fewer.

What you need

Use one shuffled 52-card deck without jokers and something for scorekeeping, such as paper or a notes app. Card values are simple: an ace is worth 1 point, number cards are worth their printed number, and a jack, queen, or king is worth 10. The suits do not have a ranking.

Set it up

Choose the first dealer by having each player draw a card; the player with the lower card deals. You can also choose randomly for a casual first game. Deal ten cards to each player, one at a time. Place the remaining cards face down as the stock, the draw pile. Turn one card face up beside it to begin the discard pile, where discarded cards are placed.

The player who did not deal gets the first choice. They may take the face-up card or pass. If they pass, the dealer may take it or pass. If both players pass, the non-dealer draws the top stock card. Whoever takes a card then discards one card face up, and play continues with the other player.

How to play

1. Draw one card. On your turn, take either the top card of the stock or the top card of the discard pile. You may choose the discard only when it helps your plan or gives your opponent less information.
2. Organize your hand. Look for sets and runs. For example, 7-clubs, 7-hearts, and 7-spades form a set, while 9-diamonds, 10-diamonds, and jack-diamonds form a run. Keep track of cards that are still deadwood.
3. Discard one card. End every ordinary turn by placing one card face up on the discard pile. If you took the top discard, you must discard a different card; you cannot simply pick it up and return it immediately.
4. Decide whether to knock. After drawing, you may knock if your deadwood totals 10 points or fewer. You are not required to knock, even if you qualify. To knock, discard one card face down, reveal your hand, and show your melds and deadwood.
5. Check for gin. If all ten cards in your hand are in melds after your discard, you have gin. Announce it and reveal the hand. The opponent may not add cards to your melds after gin.
6. Let the opponent lay off cards. If you knock without gin, your opponent reveals their hand and may add suitable deadwood to your exposed melds. For example, they can add a fourth 6 to your three 6s, or extend one of your same-suit runs. They may not add cards to another piece of deadwood.
7. Count the deadwood. Each player totals the values of their unmatched cards after any allowed lay-offs. Compare the two totals to determine the hand’s score.
8. Continue the game. If nobody ends the hand, alternate turns. If the stock is reduced to two cards without a knock or gin, the hand is usually cancelled with no score, and the same dealer deals again.

How you win

When a player knocks, the knocker scores the difference between their deadwood total and the opponent’s final deadwood total, but only if the knocker has the lower count. If the totals are equal, or the opponent has fewer deadwood points, the knocker is undercut: the opponent scores the difference plus a 10-point bonus. For example, if you knock with 6 points and your opponent has 14, you score 8 points. If you knock with 8 and the opponent has 5, the opponent scores 13.

A player who goes gin scores a 20-point gin bonus plus the opponent’s deadwood total. Gin cannot be undercut. Write down each hand’s score and keep dealing hands until someone reaches at least 100 points. The first player to reach that total wins the game. For a first game, you can skip extra end-of-game bonuses; if you want the fuller traditional scoring system, agree on those bonuses before starting.

Easy first-game tips

Do not chase every possible combination. A low-value card that is close to a run is often more useful than a high card that has no partner. Watch the discard pile carefully: it tells you what your opponent may be collecting. At the same time, avoid discarding a card that obviously completes a run or set for them.

Knocking early can be smart when your deadwood is low, especially if your opponent appears close to finishing. However, waiting can turn a small deadwood total into gin. Before knocking, check every possible way to group your cards; changing one card from a set to a run can sometimes reduce your deadwood or remove it entirely. Most importantly, keep your melds neat and count slowly.

Quick questions

Can I knock with exactly 10 deadwood points?

Yes. In this standard version, you may knock with deadwood totaling 10 points or fewer, provided you have drawn and then discarded to end your turn.

Can I use an ace after a king?

No. An ace is always low in Gin Rummy, so ace-2-3 is a run, but queen-king-ace is not.