Gin Rummy · Rules guide
Gin Rummy rules: how to play
Ten cards, sets and runs, and the three ways a hand ends: knock, gin or undercut. Plus lay-offs, scoring to 100 with box bonuses, and the Oklahoma variant.
The short answer
- Each player holds ten cards and takes one, then discards one, every turn.
- Sets are three or four of a kind; runs are three or more in sequence in one suit and never turn the corner.
- Knock when your deadwood totals ten or less; your opponent may lay off cards onto your melds.
- Gin — every card melded — scores the opponent's deadwood plus 25.
- If the knocker's deadwood is not lower, the defender undercuts for the difference plus 25.
The game in one paragraph
Gin Rummy is a two-player game with a standard pack. You hold ten cards and, on each turn, take one card and throw one away. The aim is to arrange your hand into sets (three or four of a kind) and runs (three or more in sequence in one suit). What is left over is deadwood, and when your deadwood is small enough you end the hand and score the difference.
- Card values: aces count 1, court cards 10, everything else its face value.
- Runs stay within one suit and do not turn the corner — Q-K-A is not a run.
- A card belongs to one meld only. The seven of hearts cannot be in both a set of sevens and a heart run at the same time.
The deal and a turn
The deal
Ten cards each. The next card is turned face up to start the discard pile; the rest form the stock. The non-dealer may take that first upcard or pass; if both pass, the dealer's opponent draws from the stock and play proceeds normally.
A turn
- Draw — either the top of the discard pile (which your opponent can see) or the top of the stock (which they cannot).
- Discard — one card, face up, so you are back to ten.
That is the entire mechanic. Every decision in Gin Rummy is a choice between those two draws and which card to release.
Knocking, gin and undercut
You may end the hand when your deadwood totals 10 or less, by discarding face down and declaring a knock.
- You lay down your melds and your deadwood.
- Your opponent lays down their melds, and may lay off any of their loose cards onto your melds — a fourth seven onto your set, a card extending your run.
- Compare the remaining deadwood. You score the difference.
Gin
If every one of your ten cards is in a meld, you have gin. Nothing can be laid off against you, and you score your opponent's full deadwood plus a 25-point bonus.
Undercut
If the knocker's deadwood is equal to or greater than the opponent's after lay-offs, the opponent undercuts: they score the difference plus a 25-point bonus. This is what makes knocking a genuine risk rather than a formality.
| Result | Who scores | How much |
|---|---|---|
| Knock | The knocker | The difference in deadwood |
| Gin | The knocker | Opponent's deadwood + 25 |
| Undercut | The defender | The difference + 25 |
| Stock runs out | Nobody | The hand is dead and redealt |
Ending the game
Hands are played until somebody reaches 100 points. Then bonuses are added: typically 20 points per hand won (a "box" or "line"), and 100 for game — doubled if the loser scored nothing at all, which is a shutout or schneider.
Variants and house rules
| Variant | What changes |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma Gin | The turned upcard sets the maximum knock value for that hand; an ace means gin only. |
| Hollywood Gin | Three games scored simultaneously, so every hand counts more than once. |
| Straight Gin | No knocking — you must reach gin to end the hand. |
| Three-player / partnership | One player sits out each hand, or two pairs play across. |
| Big Gin | Eleven cards all melded, with a larger bonus. |
Oklahoma is the most widely played variant in serious circles, because the variable knock requirement changes the risk calculation every hand: with a low upcard you must build a nearly perfect hand, and with a ten you can knock almost immediately.
Common questions
What is deadwood in Gin Rummy?
Any card not part of a set or a run. Aces count 1, court cards 10 and the rest their face value. You knock when your deadwood totals ten or less.
What is an undercut?
When the player who knocked has deadwood equal to or greater than their opponent after lay-offs. The defender scores the difference plus a 25-point bonus — which is why knocking with exactly ten is risky.
Can aces be high in a run?
No. In standard Gin Rummy the ace is low and runs do not turn the corner, so Q-K-A is not a valid run.
Can a card be in two melds?
No. Each card counts once, so you must choose whether a seven of hearts belongs to your set of sevens or your heart run.
What happens when the stock runs out?
In the usual rules, when only two cards remain undrawn the hand is dead: nobody scores and the cards are redealt.
What is Oklahoma Gin?
A variant where the first upcard sets the maximum deadwood for a knock that hand. A low upcard means you need a nearly perfect hand; an ace means you must go gin.
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