How many cards do you deal in gin rummy?

In standard two-player gin rummy, each player is dealt 10 cards. One card is turned face up to start the discard pile, and the rest form the stock.

What is the goal of gin rummy?

The goal is to build melds - sets and runs - while keeping unmatched cards, called deadwood, as low as possible.

When can you knock in gin rummy?

In common gin rummy rules, you can knock after drawing and before discarding if your remaining deadwood is 10 points or less after the discard.

Gin Rummy Rules - Easy Printable Guide

Short version: deal 10 cards to each player. On your turn, draw one card, then discard one card. Build melds, keep deadwood low, and knock when your deadwood is 10 or less. Going gin means all 10 cards are melded.

Setup

Traditional gin rummy is played with two players and one standard 52-card deck. Jokers are not used.

Deal 10 cards to each player.
Place the remaining deck face down as the stock.
Turn one card face up beside the stock to start the discard pile.
The non-dealer gets first choice of the first face-up card in most traditional rules.

Card	Deadwood value
Ace	1 point
2 through 10	Face value
Jack, queen, king	10 points each

Melds: Sets And Runs

A meld is a group of cards that no longer counts as deadwood.

A set is three or four cards of the same rank, such as 7-7-7.
A run is three or more cards in order in the same suit, such as 4-5-6 of hearts.
A card can only belong to one meld at a time.
Aces are low. A-2-3 is valid; Q-K-A is not.

How A Turn Works

Every normal turn has two parts: draw and discard.

Draw the top card from the stock or take the top card from the discard pile.
Discard one card from your hand to the discard pile.

If you take the top discard, common rules do not let you immediately discard that same card on the same turn.

Ending A Hand

A hand can end by knocking, going gin, or running the stock down near the end.

Knocking

You may knock after drawing if your deadwood will be 10 points or less after your discard. You reveal your melds and deadwood. Your opponent then reveals their hand and may lay off deadwood onto your melds unless you went gin.

Going Gin

You go gin when all 10 cards in your hand fit into melds after your discard. Gin earns a bonus, and the opponent does not get to lay off deadwood.

Stock Runs Low

Many rules cancel the hand with no score if the stock is reduced to two cards and no one knocks or goes gin.

Basic Scoring

Result	How points are scored
Successful knock	The knocker scores the difference between the two deadwood totals.
Undercut	If the defender has equal or lower deadwood after layoff, the defender scores the difference plus an undercut bonus.
Gin	The gin player scores a gin bonus plus the opponent's full deadwood count.
Game	A common match target is 100 points, followed by game and box bonuses depending on house rules.

Rule variations: bonuses vary by table. Some references use 20 for gin and 10 for undercut; many modern games use 25-point bonuses. Agree on bonuses before you start.

How to play gin rummyA step-by-step beginner walkthrough. Gin rummy scoringDeadwood, gin bonuses, undercuts, and match totals. Gin rummy knock rulesWhen to knock and what happens after. 2-player gin rummy rulesThe standard setup for two people.

Sources

Rules cross-checked against Bicycle Cards and Pagat. This version uses readable colors and browser-first presentation while preserving the draw, meld, knock, and scoring loop.

Gin Rummy Rules