How to Play Gin Rummy

Game guide · ZING22

Gin Rummy: what to know before playing

Keep the active rule in mind. Build sets and same-suit runs in a ten-card hand, then knock with 10 or fewer deadwood points or go Gin with none. Use another round to revisit a decision. Work at your own pace. The game uses a single 52-card deck with no jokers. Both players receive 10 cards. Aces are low and count 1. Return to the explanation when a decision is unclear.

Two-player game against a computer. Fixed house scoring: 25-point Gin and undercut bonuses; first to 100, no line/game bonus. The starting player alternates each hand. Big Gin is not included. Current hands save locally.

A small practice goal

Look at the complete hand before deciding. The starting player may take the upcard or pass. If both players pass, the starter must draw from the stock. Take the next action only when the current step is clear.

What you need to achieve

Build sets and same-suit runs in a ten-card hand, then knock with 10 or fewer deadwood points or go Gin with none. Check the relevant controls before continuing. A clear plan starts with the current position.

How to proceed

1. The game uses a single 52-card deck with no jokers. Both players receive 10 cards. Aces are low and count 1.
2. The starting player may take the upcard or pass. If both players pass, the starter must draw from the stock.
3. Draw one card, then select a different discard when you took from the discard pile. Melds stay in your hand during play.
4. Choose Knock / Gin with a selected discard. After discarding, deadwood must be 10 or less. Otherwise continue playing.
5. Against a knock, the defender may group cards and lay off unmatched cards on the knocker’s melds. No layoffs are allowed against Gin.
6. Gin earns 25 plus defender deadwood. A successful knock earns the difference. A defender with an equal or lower count undercuts for 25 plus the difference.
7. The first player to reach 100 points wins this match. There are no additional line or end-of-match bonuses. A stock reduced to two cards ends a non-knocking hand with no score.

How to interact with the game

Tap a card to select it. Use the labelled pile and action buttons. Sort by rank or suit; the hand wraps onto additional rows on a phone. The same rule applies on a phone and on a computer. Use the rule sheet as a reference.

One way to understand the rules

A knocker with 8 deadwood against a defender with 5 after layoffs is undercut: the defender scores 25 + 8 − 5 = 28. Use another round to revisit a decision.

A common point of confusion

Before making a move, check the cards in view. Q–K–A is not a Gin run: Aces are low. A defender cannot lay off against Gin, and a picked-up discard cannot be returned on the same turn. The same rule applies on a phone and on a computer.

Further help with the game