Gin Rummy
Goal
Create melds and minimize deadwood (unmatched cards) to score points.
Key Terms
- Meld: A set or run laid down together.
- Deadwood: Unmatched cards left in your hand.
- Knock: End the round when deadwood is low enough.
- Gin: End the round with zero deadwood.
Setup
- Deal 10 cards to each player.
- Turn one card face up to start the discard pile; the rest form the stock.
Melds
- Set: 3 or 4 of a kind.
- Run: 3+ consecutive cards in the same suit.
- Aces are low only.
Turn Order
- Draw from stock or take the top discard.
- Discard one card face up (you cannot discard the card you just took from the pile).
Knocking & Gin
- You may knock when your deadwood totals 10 points or fewer.
- To knock, discard face down, then reveal melds and deadwood.
- Gin = 0 deadwood; earns a bonus.
Scoring (common)
- Face cards 10, Aces 1, Number cards face value.
- Knocker scores the difference; undercut gives the opponent a bonus.
Example Turn
You draw the 5♣ from the stock, discard the 9♦, and now your deadwood totals 8 so you can knock on your next turn.