Gin Rummy Rules

Gin rummy is the classic two-player rummy game: ten cards each, no melding until the end, and a single decision that wins or loses most hands — when to knock. It was devised around 1911 by Elwood T. Baker, a New York card player, and became a Hollywood craze in the 1940s. This guide sets out the gin rummy rules step by step: the deal, the turn, knocking, laying off and the full scoring, with a worked example and a few tips. If you are new to rummy in general, start with our guide to how to play rummy.

What You Need

• Two players and one standard 52-card deck, no jokers.
• Card order: King high down to Ace low. The ace is always low in gin: A-2-3 is a run, Q-K-A is not.
• Card values: King, Queen and Jack 10 each; ace 1; every other card its face value.
• A pencil and paper for the score. A game is played to 100 points.

Sets, Runs and Deadwood

The aim is to arrange your cards into sets (three or four cards of the same rank, such as three queens) and runs (three or more cards of the same suit in order, such as 7♣ 8♣ 9♣). Any card that is not part of a set or run is deadwood, and what matters is the total value of your deadwood. Each card can belong to only one combination at a time.

Knocking needs 10 points or less of deadwood, and the deal almost never hands you that. Arranged in the best possible way, a dealt 10-card hand has a median of 58 points of deadwood; only 0.07% of deals could knock straight away, and two hands in three start above 50:

How to Play Gin Rummy: Step by Step

1. Deal. Each player draws a card to decide the first dealer; after that, the winner of each hand deals the next. The dealer gives ten cards each, one at a time, turns the next card face up to start the discard pile, and puts the rest face down as the stock.
2. The first upcard. The non-dealer may take the face-up card. If they refuse it, the dealer may take it. If both refuse, the non-dealer draws the top card of the stock. Whoever took a card discards one, and play alternates from there.
3. Each turn: draw, then discard. Take the top card of the stock or the top card of the discard pile, then discard one card face up. You cannot take the top discard and throw the same card straight back.
4. Knock when you are ready. After drawing, if your deadwood would be 10 points or less, you may knock: discard one card face down and lay your hand out in sets, runs and deadwood. You never have to knock; you can keep playing to improve your hand.
5. Your opponent lays off. Your opponent lays out their own sets and runs, then may add any of their deadwood to your sets and runs — a fourth seven to your three sevens, a 10♣ on your 7-8-9♣. You can never lay off on theirs.
6. Going gin. If all ten of your cards are in sets and runs, you have gone gin. Your opponent cannot lay off anything against a gin hand.
7. If the stock runs down to two cards and the player who took the third-last card discards without knocking, the hand is cancelled and the same dealer deals again.

Gin Rummy Scoring

Once both hands are laid out and your opponent has laid off, each player adds up their deadwood:

A player who goes gin can never be undercut, even if the opponent also has no deadwood. Scores are added up hand by hand until someone reaches 100. Then the bonuses go on:

For example, if you reached 112 points by winning 4 hands and your opponent won 2 hands for 41 points, the final totals are 112 + 100 + 4 × 20 = 292 to you and 41 + 2 × 20 = 81 to your opponent: you win the game by 211.

Gin Rummy Tips

• Knock early. Your opponent improves every turn too. Once you are at 10 or under, knocking early usually beats waiting for gin, unless the discards suggest your opponent is already low.
• Throw high cards first. Kings, queens and jacks cost 10 each if your opponent knocks, so unmatched picture cards should be your first discards.
• Read the discard pile. A card your opponent picks up tells you what they are collecting; avoid discarding cards that fit with it. A card they throw away is usually safe to throw back.
• Keep flexible cards. A card that could finish either a set or a run, such as a 7♥ next to a 6♥ and another 7, is worth more than one with only one way in.
• Watch the undercut. Knocking on exactly 10 against an opponent who has been taking discards is the classic way to get undercut.

Gin Rummy Variations

Oklahoma Gin

The value of the first face-up card sets the knocking limit for the hand: if a seven is turned up, you need 7 or less to knock, and a picture card means the usual 10. If that first card is a spade, all scores for the hand are doubled. Oklahoma Gin is usually played to 150 points.

Hollywood Gin

A scoring method rather than a different game: the players keep three games going at once on the score sheet, so each hand’s points count towards more than one game. It is how gin was commonly scored in the 1940s.

Three or Four Players

With three, the dealer sits out each hand and the loser of a hand deals the next. With four, two partnerships play two separate games side by side, and each team scores the combined result; the first team to 125 wins.

Gin Rummy vs Rummy

In basic rummy you meld and lay off in the open during play and the first to empty their hand wins. In gin rummy nobody melds until someone knocks, you score on the difference in deadwood, and a hand can end with cards still in both hands. Gin is built for two players; basic rummy works better with three to six.

Playing Gin Rummy Online

Gin rummy is mostly played online in card-game apps and on game sites, against the computer or other people, and free versions are the easiest way to practise the knock decision. If you want other card games to learn, our guides to blackjack rules, how to play baccarat and poker rules work the same way: rules first, then the numbers.

Whatever you play, set a budget before you play for real money and stick to it. Free, confidential support is available at BeGambleAware.org. 18+ only.

Also worth a look: for four players in partnerships, try Canasta, played with two packs and four jokers.

A partnership card game to try next: Spades, where you bid your tricks and spades are always trumps.

Another classic two-player card game: Cribbage, scored with fifteens, pairs and runs on a pegging board.

Playing with three or more? Try Rummy 500, where every card you meld scores for you.

Gin rummy rules: frequently asked questions