Gin Rummy is a round-based card game, where you draw and discard cards to build a hand containing sets of cards called "Melds". At the end of each round, the player with the best hand will score points. When one player reaches 100 points, the game ends.

On your turn, use your mouse to draw cards from the middle of the table or discard them from your hand.

Rounds

At the start of a round, each player is dealt 10 cards. The remaining cards in the deck are stacked face-down in the middle of the play area. There is always one card face-up next to the deck.

During a round, players will take turns drawing and discarding a single card. On your turn, you must take the face-up card or draw a random card from the deck. After that, you have to put one card from your hand on top of the face-up pile. (Note: at the beginning of a new round, the first player cannot draw a face-down card. They must either take the face-up card and then discard a card face-up or pass their turn without drawing or discarding).

Melds

To win a round, you'll need to form Melds in your hand. Melds can be formed by having a "Run" of three or more cards of the same suit that increase in rank by 1 (for example: 4♥, 5♥, 6♥), or a "Set" of three or more of the same rank (8♥, 8♦, 8♠). Melds are automatically formed and highlighted in your hand. Keep in mind: when making a run, Aces are low, not high (A♦, 2♦, 3♦ is a legal meld but Q♦, K♦, A♦ is not).

Pay attention to the face-up card -- your opponent may drop the card you need to form a Meld!

Deadwood

Deadwood refers to all the cards in your hand that are not part of any Melds. At the end of a round, having Deadwood in your hand will count against you, so try to minimize your Deadwood cards, especially high value ones. The Deadwood value is calculated by adding the values of these cards, regardless of their suit (Ex. two Kings and a 5 = 25). You can always see your Deadwood total in parentheses above your hand. Deadwood face cards (Jack, Queen, King) are worth 10 points, number cards are worth their number, and Aces are worth 1 point each. Try to get your Deadwood below 10 faster than your opponent by forming Melds and discarding cards strategically.

Knock

On your turn, you can Knock if your Deadwood is less than 10 (the Knock button will appear automatically). When you knock, all players' hands are revealed. (If you have drawn, but not discarded yet, Knocking will discard your highest Deadwood card before revealing). If your total Deadwood is lower, you win the round.

Scoring a Knock is simple: subtract the Deadwood of the player who had less from the player who had more. For example, if your Deadwood is 5 and your opponent's is 40, you will score 35 points for the round. This is the "Deadwood difference". The bigger the difference between your scores, the more points will be scored by the player who had less Deadwood.

Gin and Big Gin

If your Deadwood would be 0 after discarding on your turn (if all remaining cards form Melds), you have a Gin. This guarantees a win and awards you a bonus of 25 points PLUS the Deadwood difference.

A Big Gin is even better: if you have 0 Deadwood after drawing but before discarding, you receive a 31 point Big Gin bonus instead of the 25 for Gin. Always Knock on a Big Gin as soon as you have it!

Winning the Game

The goal of the game is to win as many rounds as possible and be the first to reach 100 points. After the end of a round, if a player has reached 100, the game ends, and the final scores are tallied. In addition to the points they've already earned, players earn an extra 25 points for each round they won and an additional 100 points if they were the first to reach 100. Once these bonuses are added, the player with the most points wins the game!

Variations of Gin Rummy

There are 4 kinds of Gin Rummy available for you to choose from, each with its own unique flair. However, you are not just constrained to this, you can always tweak the rules to be exactly what you prefer. Continue reading to learn about each variation.

Default

The version that we just described is the Default version. It’s the one we recommend starting out with, as it is the most common kind of Gin Rummy.

Time Freedom

If you get stressed out with the clock, consider playing on Time Freedom mode. This will give you an unlimited clock to ponder your moves, so you can really get adjusted to the game. If the Default mode is stressing you out, give Time Freedom a chance!

Straight Gin

For those who want an even simpler version of Gin Rummy, Straight Gin is a great option. In this alternative, there is no knocking and no bonus. This means that the entire goal is to form a perfect hand in order to win.

Oklahoma Gin

The last preset version that we have on the site is Oklahoma Gin. The difference in Oklahoma Gin is that the knock limit is set by the first discard in the game. If the first discard is a 2 through 10, then that is the knocking limit. If it is a Jack, Queen, King, or Ace, then the value is also a 10.