How to playGin Rummy

1Object of the game

Win hands by getting your cards into melds faster than your opponent, then reach 100 points first. A meld is either a set of 3 or 4 cards of the same rank or a run of 3 or more cards in sequence in the same suit. Cards that are not part of a meld are deadwood, and they count against you: face cards are worth 10, aces 1, and number cards their pip value. You end a hand by knocking (deadwood of 10 or less) or by going gin (no deadwood at all).

2Setup

1. Use one standard 52-card deck without jokers. Cut for the first deal; many players have the low card deal.
2. The dealer deals 10 cards to each player, one at a time, face down.
3. Turn the 21st card face up to start the discard pile (this is the upcard). The rest of the deck goes face down beside it as the stock.
4. First-turn upcard: the non-dealer may take the upcard or pass. If the non-dealer passes, the dealer may take it or pass. If both pass, the non-dealer starts normal play by drawing the top card of the stock.
5. Keep a score sheet with a column for each player. You record each hand's points and a running total.

3The play

1. Draw one card: either the top card of the stock (face down) or the top card of the discard pile (face up).
2. Discard one card face up onto the discard pile. You always end your turn with 10 cards in hand.
3. If your deadwood, not counting the card you discard, is 10 points or less, you may knock instead of making a normal discard. Discard one card face down and lay your hand face up, arranged into melds and deadwood. You may knock on any turn, including your first.
4. If all 10 cards form melds, you go gin: discard and lay down your hand. Going gin earns a bonus and your opponent cannot lay off.
5. After a knock (but not after gin), your opponent lays out their own melds and then may lay off deadwood cards by adding them to the knocker's sets and runs. The knocker never lays off on the opponent's melds.

4End of a hand

A hand ends when a player knocks or goes gin. Both hands are counted and the winner of the hand writes down their points. A hand also ends with no score if the stock runs down to two cards and the player who drew the third-to-last card discards without knocking; the hand is cancelled and the same dealer deals again. Books differ on who deals next: pagat.com notes that some have the loser of each hand deal the next, and others simply alternate the deal. Bicycle's rules have the previous winner deal.

5Scoring

Deadwood is counted with face cards (K, Q, J) worth 10, aces worth 1, and all other cards at face value. The ace is always low: A-2-3 is a run, Q-K-A is not. Points go to whoever wins each hand, and the running totals decide the game.

These are the values given by pagat.com and Bicycle. Many modern US players use higher bonuses instead: 25 for gin, 25 for an undercut, and 25 per hand for the box bonus (see house rules). A tie in deadwood counts as an undercut, so the opponent scores 10 plus a difference of zero. When the game ends, add the game bonus and the line bonuses to each player's hand totals; the higher final total wins.

6Winning

Keep playing hands until one player's running total reaches 100 or more. That player gets a 100-point game bonus, and each player then adds 20 points for every hand they won (the line or box bonus). If the loser never scored at all, the winner's game bonus is 200 instead of 100. The player with the higher final total wins, which is nearly always the player who reached 100 first.

7A worked hand

8House rules

The rules above are the version most US players use. These are the variations you are most likely to run into; settle them before the first deal.

25-point bonuses

Many current US players score gin as 25 plus the opponent's deadwood, an undercut as 25 plus the difference, and 25 per hand won for the box bonus. Wikipedia's summary treats these as today's standard; older books and pagat.com use 20, 10 and 20.

Big gin

If all 11 cards in your hand form melds right after you draw, you may lay down all 11 without discarding. Players who use this usually award 31 points (some use 50) plus the opponent's deadwood.

Oklahoma Gin

The value of the first upcard sets the knocking limit for that hand, so a 4 upcard means you need 4 or less. If the upcard is an ace, many play that you must go gin. A spade upcard doubles the score for the hand.

Shutout doubling

Instead of raising the game bonus to 200, some players double every hand score of a shutout winner before adding the line bonuses.

Hollywood scoring

Players keep three games going on one score sheet at once, entering a player's first win in game one, their second in games one and two, and so on. It speeds up a long session.

9Mistakes people make

• You may not lay off cards after your opponent goes gin. Laying off is only allowed after a regular knock.
• The knocker never lays off on the opponent's melds. Only the player who did not knock gets to lay off.
• A tie in deadwood is an undercut. The knocker must have strictly less deadwood to win the hand.
• Aces are low only. Q-K-A and K-A-2 are not runs in gin rummy, and an ace always counts 1 point.

10Playing better

• Knock early. Once your deadwood is 10 or less, knocking quickly usually beats waiting for gin, because every extra turn gives your opponent a chance to improve.
• Throw high deadwood first. Kings, queens and jacks that are not in melds cost you 10 each if your opponent knocks.
• Watch what your opponent picks up from the discard pile. If they took a 7♥, avoid discarding other 7s and the 6♥ or 8♥.
• Hold cards that can make melds more than one way. A 5♦ next to both 5♣ and 6♦ has two chances to connect.
• Late in the hand, when the stock is thin, discard cards your opponent has already shown no interest in, and consider knocking with a higher count before they reach gin.
• Be careful knocking against a player who has been drawing from the stock and discarding low cards. They may be close to gin or holding low deadwood for an undercut.

Gin Rummy: questions people ask

How many cards do you deal in gin rummy?

Deal 10 cards to each player, one at a time. The 21st card is turned face up to start the discard pile, and the rest of the deck becomes the stock. On the first turn only, the non-dealer and then the dealer may take that upcard. You always hold 10 cards after discarding and 11 briefly after drawing.

What is the maximum deadwood to knock in gin rummy?

You can knock when your unmatched cards total 10 points or less, counting face cards as 10, aces as 1 and other cards at face value. The card you discard face down when knocking does not count. In the Oklahoma Gin variation, the first upcard's value sets a lower or higher limit for that hand.

How much is gin worth in gin rummy?

Going gin scores a 20-point bonus plus your opponent's full deadwood count, according to pagat.com and Bicycle. Your opponent may not lay off cards on your melds after you go gin. Many modern players raise the gin bonus to 25. Agree on which value you use before the game starts.

What is an undercut in gin rummy?

An undercut happens when the player who did not knock ends up with deadwood equal to or lower than the knocker's, after laying off. The defender then scores the difference plus a bonus, 10 points in the classic rules and 25 in many modern games. It is the main risk of knocking with a high count.

What happens when the stock runs out in gin rummy?

When only two cards remain in the stock and the player who drew the third-to-last card discards without knocking, the hand ends with no score. It is a dead hand, nobody scores, and the same dealer deals again. You may not draw either of the last two cards.

What is the difference between gin and knocking?

Knocking ends the hand with up to 10 points of deadwood, and your opponent can lay off cards on your melds and possibly undercut you. Going gin means every card in your hand is in a meld. You get a bonus, your opponent cannot lay off, and you cannot be undercut.

How many points do you play to in gin rummy?

The standard game ends when one player reaches 100 points. That player gets a 100-point game bonus, and both players add a line bonus for each hand they won, 20 per hand in the classic rules. If the loser scored zero, the winner's game bonus is 200.

Sources

Checked by Morgan Hale against the sources below. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.

1. Gin Rummy, pagat.com. Read September 28, 2026.
2. How to Play Gin Rummy, Bicycle Cards. Read September 28, 2026.
3. Gin rummy, Wikipedia. Read September 28, 2026.

Also on the table: Rummy, Cribbage, Canasta, Kings in the Corner.