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Essential terms

Gin Rummy Glossary

Look up the terms used in the rules, scoring examples, and Teaching mode.

Use this glossary when a rule or scoring term is unfamiliar. These definitions match the teaching prompts in the game.

Practice with GusRead the full rules
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Deadwood
Cards in your hand that are not part of a meld. Count their total point value. You may knock as you discard if your remaining deadwood is 10 points or less.
Meld
A set or run of at least three cards. Melded cards do not count as deadwood.
Run
Three or more consecutive cards of the same suit, or the same color in a four-color theme.
Set
Three or four cards of the same rank.
Stock
The face-down draw pile. Draw its top card when you do not take the top discard.
Discard pile
The face-up pile. You may take only its top card, and you cannot immediately discard that same card.
Knock
End the hand as you discard, leaving 10 deadwood points or less. The defender may lay off cards before scoring.
Gin
End the hand with zero deadwood. Gin earns a bonus and does not allow layoffs.
Layoff
A defender adds deadwood cards to the knocker's melds before scoring.
Undercut
The defender has deadwood equal to or lower than the knocker's after layoffs. The defender scores the difference plus an undercut bonus.
Gin rummy rulesSee these terms in the complete rules. How to playFollow one hand from deal through scoring. Gin rummy scoringSee how deadwood, layoffs, gin, and undercuts affect the score.

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