Gin Rummy Rules
Gin Rummy is the best-known two-player rummy game in the world. It is faster than Indian rummy, uses no jokers, and ends a hand the moment one player decides their cards are good enough to “knock”. If you know 13 card rummy, you will pick it up in a few minutes.
On this page 11 sections
Quick facts
| Players | 2 |
|---|---|
| Cards | One standard 52-card deck, no jokers |
| Cards per player | 10 |
| Card values | K, Q, J = 10 · number cards = face value · A = 1 |
| Game | First to 100 points (agree a different target if you like) |
Melds and deadwood
The aim is to arrange your cards into melds:
- A set: three or four cards of the same rank, like 8♠8♥8♣.
- A run: three or more cards in a row of the same suit, like 3♦4♦5♦6♦.
The ace is always low. A♥2♥3♥ is a run, but Q♥K♥A♥ is not. Each card can belong to only one meld at a time.
Any card not in a meld is deadwood. Your deadwood count is the total value of those cards. Lower is better.
The deal
Cut for the first deal; the lower card deals. The dealer gives ten cards to each player, one at a time. The next card is turned face up to start the discard pile (the upcard), and the rest go face down as the stock. After each hand, the winner of that hand usually deals the next one, though some players simply alternate.
The first turn
The first turn has a special rule. The non-dealer may take the upcard. If they refuse it, the dealer may take it. If both refuse, the non-dealer draws the top card of the stock and play carries on normally.
Each turn
- Draw one card: the top of the stock or the top of the discard pile.
- Discard one card face up on the discard pile. You may not throw back a card you just took from the discard pile in the same turn.
Play continues until someone knocks. If only two cards remain in the stock and the player who drew the last allowed card discards without knocking, the hand is cancelled and no one scores. It is then redealt.
Knocking
You may knock to end the hand when your deadwood is 10 points or less. You knock after drawing, by placing your discard face down and laying out your melds and deadwood.
Example: you hold 5♣6♣7♣J♠J♦J♥2♠3♥4♦A♦ after discarding. The run and the three jacks are melds. The deadwood is 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 = 10, so you may knock.
You do not have to knock as soon as you can. Waiting may lower your deadwood or get you to gin, but it also gives your opponent more turns.
Laying off
After a knock, the other player (the defender) lays out their own melds. They may then lay off deadwood cards onto the knocker’s melds, for example adding the 8♣ to the knocker’s 5-6-7 of clubs. This reduces the defender’s deadwood. The knocker cannot lay off onto the defender’s melds.
Going gin
If all ten of your cards form melds with zero deadwood, you can knock with gin. When you go gin, the defender is not allowed to lay off any cards. Gin earns a bonus.
Some players also allow big gin: all eleven cards in your hand (after drawing) form melds, so you do not discard at all. Big gin earns a larger bonus in that version.
Scoring a hand
Compare deadwood after the defender has laid off. The common scoring is:
| Situation | Who scores | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Knocker has less deadwood | Knocker | Difference in deadwood |
| Undercut: defender’s deadwood is equal to or less than the knocker’s | Defender | Difference + 25 bonus |
| Gin | Knocker | Defender’s deadwood + 25 bonus |
| Big gin (if played) | Knocker | Defender’s deadwood + 31 bonus |
Example: you knock with 6 deadwood. Your opponent lays off and is left with 15. You score 15 − 6 = 9. If instead they had been left with 4, that is an undercut: they score 6 − 4 + 25 = 27.
A player who goes gin cannot be undercut. The undercut bonus is set at 10 or 20 in some rule books, and the gin bonus at 20, so check which numbers your group uses.
Ending the game
Keep a running total. The first player to reach 100 points wins the game. Then add the end-of-game bonuses that many players use:
- Game bonus: 100 points to the winner.
- Line (box) bonus: 25 points for each hand a player won during the game.
- Shutout: if the loser did not win a single hand, the winner’s total is often doubled.
Families who just want a quick game often skip these and simply play to 100. Our printable score sheet is handy for keeping the running totals.
Variations
- Oklahoma Gin: the value of the first upcard sets the maximum deadwood for knocking in that hand. An ace upcard means you may only go gin.
- Straight Gin: knocking is not allowed at all; you must go gin to end the hand.
- Three players: the dealer sits out each hand while the other two play.
Tips
- Get rid of high deadwood (kings, queens) early if they are not close to forming melds.
- Watch what your opponent picks up from the discard pile. It tells you what they are collecting.
- Knocking early with 8 to 10 deadwood is often smart. A quick win stops your opponent improving.
- Be careful knocking late in the hand with high deadwood. Your opponent has had time to build melds and may undercut you.
FAQ
How many cards do you get in Gin Rummy?
Each player gets 10 cards. You draw to 11 on your turn and discard back to 10.
When can you knock in Gin Rummy?
You can knock when your unmatched cards (deadwood) add up to 10 points or less. Some variations, such as Oklahoma Gin, set a different limit for each hand.
What is an undercut in Gin Rummy?
An undercut happens when the defender’s deadwood is equal to or lower than the knocker’s after laying off. The defender then scores the difference plus a bonus, usually 25 points.
Is the ace high or low in Gin Rummy?
The ace is low only. It counts as 1 point and fits in a run like A-2-3, but not after the king.
How is Gin Rummy different from Indian rummy?
Gin Rummy is for two players with 10 cards each, has no jokers, and ends when a player knocks. Indian rummy uses 13 cards, wild jokers and requires pure sequences to declare. See our rummy rules for the Indian game.