Gin Rummy Rules
Game Village Bingo

Gin Rummy and alternate names
Sometimes called Gin, Poker Gin, Knock Poker and Gin Poker

Number of players
Two

Deck used
52 cards without Jokers. Cards used are Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen and King.

The Rummy deck


Value of cards
Face cards (Jack, Queen and King) = 10 points
Ace = 1 point
Number cards are worth their face value

Play
Clockwise

Object of the game

The object of the Gin Rummy card game is to score more points than your opponent. This can be done by the basic game strategy of improving one's hand by forming melds and eliminating deadwood.

There are two kinds of melds, Sets and Runs. Sets are 3 or 4 cards that are of the same rank. For example, 5Club, 5Heart, 5Diamond. Runs are 3 or more cards that are of the same suit. For example, 4Diamond, 5Diamond, 6Diamond, 7Diamond, 8Diamond. In Gin Rummy the Ace is always low. A-2-3 is valid but A-K-Q, is not. Intersecting melds are not valid, for example, a 3 card run and a 3 card set cannot share a common card. Two cards must be counted as deadwood.

The Deal

After shuffling the deck, the dealer is usually determined by cutting the deck, (low card deals). Dealership alternates from round to round. the dealer deals a 10 card hand to his opponent and to himself. The 21st. card is called the upcard and is placed face up in a central location and is the start of the discard pile. The remaining cards are placed face down next to the discard pile and is called the stock pile.

Ordering your hand

You should try to organize your hand so that you can easily identify sets and runs.

Play

A turn consists of two mandatory actions, a draw and a discard. A player may draw one card from the top of the stack or one card from the top of the discard pile. To complete a turn, the player must discard one card from his hand face up on the discard pile. The player may not discard the same card drawn from the discard pile during the same turn. A different card must be discarded.

After the draw and before the discard a player may optionally meld.

Knocking

After drawing a card a player can Knock or end play if the player can form sufficient cards into valid sets and runs. This is done by discarding one card face down on the discard pile and showing your entire hand arranged into sets and runs. Cards that cannot be formed into sets and runs are called unmatched cards or deadwood. The deadwood cards should be clearly indicated. The total value of the deadwood must be 10 points or less. Knocking with no unmatched cards is called Going Gin.

A player with not more than 10 points of deadwood can knock on any turn. Knocking is optional and a player may continue in the game if he wishes to obtain a higher score.

The opponent must spread his cards face up and arrange them into sets and runs if possible. They can then lay off unmatched cards by using them to extend the sets and runs of the knocker. If a player goes gin, the opponent is not allowed to lay off his cards. A knocker may not lay off cards on the opponent's sets or runs.

Play can also end if the stock pile only has two cards and the player who drew the last card discards without knocking. If this happens the hand is cancelled and there is no score. Cards are then dealt again by the same dealer.

Scoring

Knock Points - Players count the total amount of the unmatched cards. If the knocker's count is lower, he scores the difference between the two counts.

Gin Bonus - The player who goes gin receives a 25 point bonus plus the count of deadwood of their opponent's hand. There is no lay off when going gin.

Game Bonus - When a player acquires 100 points or another agreed sum, the match is over. That player receives a game bonus of 100 points.

Line Bonus - A bonus of 25 points for every hand won during the match.

Shutout Bonus - If the entire match is completed with the winner having won every hand. The score for each hand is doubled before applying the Line Bonus.

Variations

You will find variations to the above rules in Gin Rummy itself and the games off-shuts such Oklahoma Gin, Hollywood Gin, Single Match, and Multi-match.

Links

Online Spades