Gin Rummy Rules
The complete rules of Gin Rummy — the deal, the turn, what counts as a meld, when you may knock, and what happens next. New to the game? The how-to-play guide walks through a hand step by step; this page is the reference.
Play Gin Rummy NowObjective
Gin Rummy is a two-player game. Each turn you draw one card and discard one, trying to arrange your ten cards into melds — sets of equal rank or runs in one suit. Cards left outside a meld are deadwood. When your deadwood totals 10 points or less you may knock to end the hand; with no deadwood at all you go gin. Points are scored on the difference in deadwood, and the first player to 100 points wins the game.
Players, cards and the deal
- Players: exactly 2.
- Deck: a standard 52-card deck, no jokers. Aces are low: A-2-3 is a run, Q-K-A is not.
- Card values: Ace 1, number cards face value, Jack / Queen / King 10 each. These are used only for counting deadwood.
- The deal: 10 cards each. The remaining 32 cards are placed face down as the stock, and its top card is turned face up beside it to start the discard pile (the "upcard").
- Dealer: the computer deals the first hand of a CardCouch game, so you move first. Afterwards the loser of each hand deals the next; after a drawn hand the deal alternates.
Melds: sets and runs
A meld is a group of three or more cards that belong together:
- A set (or group) is three or four cards of the same rank: 9♠ 9♥ 9♣.
- A run (or sequence) is three or more cards of consecutive rank in the same suit: 4♦ 5♦ 6♦ 7♦.
Runs do not wrap around — K-A-2 is not a run. A card can belong to only one meld. When a hand could be arranged in more than one way, the arrangement with the least deadwood is used; CardCouch works this out for you automatically, so your hand is always sorted into its best form.
Taking a turn
The non-dealer takes the first turn, and turns then alternate. Each turn has two parts:
- Draw one card — either the top card of the stock (face down, unknown) or the top card of the discard pile (face up, seen by both players). You now hold 11 cards.
- Discard one card face up onto the discard pile, bringing your hand back to 10. If you took the top discard this turn, you may not throw that same card straight back.
Only the top card of the discard pile is ever available; you may not dig through the pile. As you discard, you may also knock or declare gin if your ten remaining cards qualify — see below.
House rule: the first upcard
Traditionally the non-dealer may either take the first upcard or pass, in which case the dealer gets the same choice before the non-dealer draws from the stock. On CardCouch the first player simply takes the upcard or draws from the stock, like any other turn. Nothing else about the game changes.
Deadwood
Deadwood is every card in your hand that is not in a meld. Its value is the sum of the card values above: an unmatched King, 8 and Ace are 19 points of deadwood. Low deadwood lets you knock, and limits what you concede if your opponent knocks first.
Knocking
You may knock at the end of any turn if, after your discard, the deadwood in your ten cards totals 10 points or less. Knocking is never compulsory. On CardCouch you choose the card to discard and the Knock button lights up whenever knocking would be legal.
After a knock:
- Both players lay their melds face up.
- The opponent (the "defender") may lay off deadwood onto the knocker's melds.
- The two deadwood totals are compared and the hand is scored.
Going gin
If all ten cards after your discard are in melds — zero deadwood — you declare gin instead of knocking. Gin earns a 25-point bonus on top of all your opponent's deadwood, and the opponent may not lay off any cards. Gin cannot be undercut.
Laying off
After a knock (but never after gin), the defender may add any of their deadwood cards to the knocker's melds: a fourth card of the same rank onto a set, or a card that extends either end of a run. Laid-off cards no longer count as deadwood. The defender may lay off as many cards as fit, but may not lay off onto their own melds or onto cards the knocker counted as deadwood. CardCouch lays off automatically in the way that helps the defender most.
The undercut
If, after laying off, the defender's deadwood is equal to or lower than the knocker's, the defender has undercut the knocker. The defender scores the difference plus a 25-point bonus, and the knocker scores nothing. The full arithmetic is on the Gin Rummy scoring page.
When the stock runs out
If a discard leaves only two cards in the stock and no one has knocked, the hand ends in a draw. Neither player scores, and a new hand is dealt with the deal alternating.
Ending the game
Hands continue until a player's total reaches 100 points. The winner adds a 100-point line bonus, and both players add a 25-point box bonus for every hand they won. The final totals decide the margin of victory.
Rules at a glance
| Rule | CardCouch plays |
|---|---|
| Cards dealt | 10 each |
| Aces | Low only (A-2-3), worth 1 |
| First upcard | Take it or draw — no pass-and-offer |
| Knock | Deadwood 10 or less, optional |
| Gin | 0 deadwood, +25, no lay-offs |
| Undercut | Defender equal or lower: +25 to defender |
| Stock exhausted | 2 cards left after a discard: hand is a draw |
| Game | First to 100; +100 line bonus, +25 per box |
Common variations
These are popular elsewhere but not used on CardCouch:
- Pass-and-offer: the non-dealer may refuse the first upcard and offer it to the dealer before anyone draws from the stock.
- Big gin: going gin with all 11 cards (before discarding) for a 31-point bonus.
- Oklahoma gin: the first upcard sets the maximum deadwood you may knock with; a spade upcard doubles the hand's score.
- Hollywood scoring: three games scored at once on one sheet.
- Different targets: games to 150 or 250, or a 20-point undercut bonus.
Frequently asked questions
Who goes first in Gin Rummy?
The non-dealer takes the first turn. On CardCouch the computer deals the first hand, so you move first; after that the loser of each hand deals the next one (on a drawn hand the deal simply alternates).
Can you pick up the first upcard in Gin Rummy?
Yes. On CardCouch the first player simply chooses between the upcard and the top of the stock, like any other turn. The traditional rule where the non-dealer may pass and offer the upcard to the dealer is a house-rule variation that is not used.
Can you discard the card you just picked up?
Not if you took it from the discard pile — that card must stay in your hand until at least your next turn. A card drawn from the stock may be discarded immediately.
Do you have to knock in Gin Rummy?
No. Knocking is always optional. You may keep drawing and discarding in search of gin or a lower deadwood count, but remember that your opponent may knock first.
Can a card be in two melds at once?
No. Each card belongs to at most one meld. A 7 of hearts can be part of a set of sevens or a run of hearts, but not both. CardCouch always arranges your hand in whichever way leaves the least deadwood.
What happens when the stock runs out in Gin Rummy?
If only two cards remain in the stock after a discard and nobody has knocked, the hand is a draw. No one scores, and a new hand is dealt.