How To Play Gin Rummy

To play gin rummy, try to turn your 10-card hand into sets and runs. Each turn you draw one card and discard one card. When your unmatched cards are worth 10 or less, you can knock. If every card fits into melds, you can go gin.

1. Deal The Hand

Gin rummy is usually a two-player game. Each player receives 10 cards. The rest of the deck becomes the stock, and one card is turned face up to start the discard pile.

The face-up discard is public information. If your opponent takes it, you know that card probably helps their hand.

2. Draw One Card

Start your turn by drawing from one of two places:

• Stock: draw the top face-down card. This hides your plan.
• Discard pile: take the visible top discard. This is useful when it completes or improves a meld.

3. Build Sets And Runs

Your goal is to arrange cards into melds.

Cards that are not in melds are called deadwood. Deadwood is what you are trying to reduce.

4. Discard One Card

End every normal turn by discarding one card. A good discard usually does one of three things:

• Reduces your deadwood.
• Avoids giving your opponent an obvious meld card.
• Keeps flexible cards that can work in more than one future meld.

5. Knock Or Go Gin

After drawing, check your deadwood. If your deadwood will be 10 points or less after your discard, you may knock and end the hand. If all 10 cards fit into melds, you can go gin for a bonus.

You do not have to knock as soon as you can. Waiting can improve your hand, but it also gives your opponent time to knock first.

Good First-Hand Habits

• Keep connected cards like 6-7 or 9-10 when they can become a run.
• Be careful with high deadwood. Kings, queens, jacks, and tens are expensive.
• Watch what your opponent takes from the discard pile.
• Do not chase too many different melds at once.
• Knock when the hand is good enough; perfect hands are not required.

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