Card game rules
Gin Rummy rules: deadwood, knocking, gin and undercut
Gin Rummy is a two-player game where you build sets and runs and try to leave as few unmatched cards in your hand as you can. You end each hand by knocking, or by going gin if every card fits in a meld.
The basics
Melds, deadwood and the goal
Gin uses a standard 52-card deck for two players. Each player is dealt 10 cards. The rest of the deck sits face down as the stock, and the top card is turned up beside it to start the discard pile.
You are trying to arrange your hand into melds. A set is three or four cards of the same rank, such as three sevens. A run is three or more cards in the same suit in sequence, such as 4-5-6 of hearts. Cards that are in no meld are your deadwood, and they are what you are trying to get rid of.
| Card | Deadwood value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ace | 1 point | Always low, never in a Q-K-A run |
| Two to ten | Face value | A seven is 7, a ten is 10 |
| Jack, queen, king | 10 points | All face cards are worth the same |
Taking turns
Drawing and discarding
The first draw
The player who did not deal may take the upcard. If they pass, the dealer may take it. If both pass, the non-dealer draws the top card of the stock and play goes on as normal.
Draw one card
On your turn, take either the top card of the stock or the top card of the discard pile.
Discard one card
Put one card face up on the discard pile. You cannot discard the card you just took from the discard pile.
Keep going
Repeat until someone knocks or goes gin. If only two cards remain in the stock, the hand is a draw and nobody scores.
Ending a hand
Knock, gin and big gin
Knocking
After drawing, you can end the hand by discarding one card and laying your hand face up in melds if your remaining deadwood is 10 points or less. That is called knocking. Your opponent then shows their hand and may lay off: add any of their unmatched cards that fit onto your melds, which lowers their deadwood. Laying off only works on your melds, and it cannot happen against gin.
If your deadwood is lower than your opponent's after the lay-offs, you score the difference.
Going gin
If all 10 cards fit into melds after your discard, so you have no deadwood, you can declare gin. Your opponent cannot lay off against gin. You score a 25 point bonus plus whatever deadwood your opponent is holding.
Big gin
If you draw an 11th card and all 11 cards meld, with nothing to discard, that is big gin. It is rare and scores a 31 point bonus plus your opponent's deadwood. Not every group uses it, so check before you play.
The undercut
If you knock and your opponent's deadwood, after laying off, ties yours or is lower, you have been undercut. They score the difference between the two totals, plus a 25 point bonus. It is the reason you should not knock on 10 if your opponent is holding a nearly finished hand.
Scoring
Points, game bonus and boxes
| Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Knock | Difference in deadwood | Your opponent lays off first, then you score the gap |
| Gin | Opponent's deadwood plus 25 | No laying off is allowed against gin |
| Big gin | Opponent's deadwood plus 31 | All 11 cards meld, with no discard needed |
| Undercut | Difference plus 25 to the defender | The opponent scores instead of the knocker |
| Game bonus | 100 points | For whoever reaches 100 first |
| Box bonus | 25 points for each hand won | Both players collect theirs at the end |
A hand where you knock with 7 deadwood against an opponent's 15 after laying off scores 8. If the opponent had been left with 7, they would score 0 plus the 25 undercut bonus.
Playing to 100 and boxes
Keep a running total and play until one player reaches 100 or more. That player wins the game and adds a 100 point game bonus. Both players then add 25 points for every hand they won. Each of those won hands is called a box or a line, and the bonus is also called the box bonus.
Many groups double the game bonus when the loser never won a hand, which is called a shutout. Others play without bonuses and simply call the winner the first to 100.
Strategy
A few habits worth building
- Watch the discard pile
- What your opponent picks up tells you what they are building. If they take the 7 of clubs, stop discarding sevens and clubs near it.
- Get rid of high cards early
- A king in your hand is 10 points of deadwood. If it is not part of a meld, it is the first thing to throw away.
- Knock early when you are ahead
- A low-scoring win now is better than waiting for gin and being undercut.
- Be careful on 10
- Knocking at the limit gives your opponent the best chance for an undercut. Knocking at 3 or 4 is much safer.
Variations
Rules that change between groups
- Oklahoma gin
- The first upcard sets the knock limit. If it is a 4, you need 4 or less to knock. A spade doubles the score for the hand.
- Straight gin
- No knocking is allowed. The hand only ends when someone goes gin.
- Hollywood gin
- You keep three games going at once, and each winning score is added to the next game that is still open.
- No big gin
- Some players treat an 11th card meld as an ordinary gin.
Questions
Quick answers
- What is deadwood in Gin Rummy?
- Deadwood is every card in your hand that is not part of a meld. Each one counts against you: aces are 1, two through ten are face value, and jacks, queens and kings are 10. Your goal is to get your deadwood total as low as possible.
- When can you knock?
- You can knock when the deadwood left in your hand after discarding is 10 points or fewer. With no deadwood at all you can go gin instead, which scores a bonus.
- What is an undercut?
- An undercut happens when you knock and your opponent ends up with the same deadwood as you or less, after laying off cards onto your melds. They then score the difference between the two totals plus a 25 point bonus, instead of you scoring.
- Is the ace high or low in Gin Rummy?
- Low only. An ace can make A-2-3 but not Q-K-A, and runs do not wrap around from king to ace to two. An ace is also worth only 1 point of deadwood.
- How many points do you play to?
- The usual game is to 100 points. The winner then adds a 100 point game bonus plus 25 for each hand they won, and the loser's boxes count too. Some groups skip the bonuses and just play to 100.