Gin Rummy
Build sets and runs, then knock or go gin before the computer.
How to play Gin Rummy
Gin Rummy is a classic card game for two players with one deck of 52 cards. Here you play against the computer. Each player gets 10 cards. The rest form the face-down stock, and one card is turned up to start the discard pile.
Goal
Arrange your cards into melds. A meld is a set of three or four cards of the same rank (three 8s) or a run of three or more cards in a row in one suit (4, 5, 6 of hearts). Aces are low: A-2-3 is a run, but Q-K-A is not. Cards that are not in a meld are deadwood. Face cards count 10, Aces 1 and other cards their number. The first player to reach 100 points wins the game.
Turn by turn
- At the start, the non-dealer may take the face-up card or pass. If they pass, the dealer may take it. If both pass, the non-dealer draws from the stock.
- On each turn, draw one card: the top of the stock or the top of the discard pile.
- Then discard one card face up. You may not throw away the card you just took from the discard pile.
- When your deadwood is 10 or less after your discard, you may knock to end the hand. With no deadwood at all you go gin.
Scoring a hand
Both players show their melds. After a knock, the other player may lay off loose cards on the knocker's melds, such as a 7 of hearts on a 4-5-6 of hearts. Nobody can lay off on gin. The knocker scores the difference between the two deadwood counts. If the other player has the same or less deadwood, that is an undercut: they score the difference plus a 25-point bonus. Gin scores 25 plus the other player's deadwood. If only two cards are left in the stock and nobody has knocked, the hand is cancelled and dealt again.
End of the game
When someone reaches 100, they also get a 100-point game bonus, and each player gets 25 points for every hand they won. If the loser scored nothing at all, the winner's total is doubled.
Playing on this site
Tap the stock or the discard pile to draw. Tap a card to pick it, then tap it again or press Discard. Knock lights up when you are allowed to knock. Your melds are found for you and marked with a coloured bar.
Strategy tips
- Throw high deadwood early. Loose Kings and Queens cost 10 points each if the computer knocks. Get rid of them first unless they are close to a meld.
- Knock early, go for gin late. A fast knock with 8 or 9 points often wins the hand. Late in the deal, the other player's deadwood is lower, so an undercut becomes a real risk.
- Watch what is picked up. When the computer takes a card from the pile, it is building something with it. Avoid discarding cards of the same rank or next to it in the same suit.
- Keep flexible cards. A 6 of spades with a 6 of hearts and a 7 of spades can become a set or a run. Such cards are worth more than two lonely high cards.
- Taking from the pile tells a story. Every card you pick up from the discard pile shows your plan. Draw from the stock when the top card does not finish a meld.
Gin Rummy FAQ
What does knocking mean in Gin Rummy?
Knocking ends the hand. You can knock when your unmatched cards add up to 10 points or less after your discard. Then both hands are shown and scored.
What is an undercut?
If you knock but the other player has the same or less deadwood after laying off, they undercut you. They score the difference plus a 25-point bonus.
Can I lay off cards when my opponent goes gin?
No. Laying off is only allowed after a normal knock. When a player goes gin, the other player simply counts all their deadwood.
How strong is the computer?
Easy often throws away useful cards and forgets to knock. Medium plays solid basic Gin. Hard remembers the cards you pick up, avoids feeding you and chooses when to knock.
