Gin Rummy at a glance
Gin Rummy is a two-player contest about improving your hand while revealing little. Build sets and suited runs, reduce unmatched cards, and choose when to knock. A tidy hand can win sooner than a perfect one.
- Players
- 2 · Head to head
- Deck
- 52 cards
- Hand
- 10 cards each
- Target
- 100 points
How to play Gin Rummy online
Play free in your browser, with no download or account required. Choose the kind of table you want to join.
Practice with computers
Choose Play with computers and a pace: Relaxed, Friendly, or Quick. Use Hint when you need help finding a move.
Invite your friends
Choose Invite friends and share Copy invite or the room code. Friends join through Have an invite? The host can fill empty seats with computers.
Find an online opponent
Choose Find online players to look for other people. If no matching players are available, you can practice with computers instead.
Computer games also need an internet connection. The table handles dealing, legal moves, and scoring. These rules describe the version played here; other tables may use different house rules.
Rules of Gin Rummy
Deal and opening offer
Deal ten cards each. The non-dealer may take the first discard or pass; the dealer then has the same choice. If both pass, the non-dealer draws from stock.
Draw, meld, and discard
Draw one card, then discard one. A discard you just took cannot be thrown straight back. Melds are three or four equal ranks, or at least three consecutive cards of one suit. Aces are low.
Knocking and deadwood
Select your discard and knock with ten or less deadwood, or go gin with none. The game finds your lowest-deadwood meld arrangement and the defender’s best legal layoff. Deadwood is face value, with faces worth ten.
Scoring and winning
Hand scoring
A knock earns the deadwood difference. An undercut earns the defender the difference plus ten. Gin earns opponent deadwood plus twenty, without layoffs. Two stock cards left ends a drawn hand.
Match scoring
First to one hundred wins, with a one-hundred game bonus (two hundred for a shutout) and twenty per hand won. The hand loser deals next.
How to get better at Gin Rummy
Reduce expensive deadwood
Unmatched face cards cost ten points each. Discarding one with little chance of a meld can make a safe knock possible.
Keep flexible combinations
Adjacent suited cards can develop at either end. Compare useful draws before breaking a potential run.
Remember discards
A card you need may already have passed through the discard pile. Adjust your plan instead of waiting for an unavailable completion.
Respect the undercut
A ten-point knock is legal, but your opponent may have less after laying off. Consider a lower deadwood total when the hand allows it.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a meld?
Three or four cards of one rank form a set. Three or more consecutive cards of one suit form a run. Aces are low, so Ace–2–3 works but Queen–King–Ace does not.
When can I knock?
Choose a discard that leaves ten or fewer deadwood points. With no deadwood after discarding, go gin.
Can the defender lay off after gin?
No. Gin earns the opponent’s deadwood plus 20 points, with no defensive layoffs.
What is an undercut?
After a knock and legal layoffs, a defender with no more deadwood than the knocker wins the difference plus ten points.
Can I play Gin Rummy against computers?
Yes. Choose Play with computers at the table and select a computer pace. Private tables can also mix friends with computers. An internet connection is required.
How do I invite friends to Gin Rummy?
Choose Invite friends, then use Copy invite in the waiting room. Friends can open that link or enter the room code in Have an invite? The host can fill empty seats with computers.
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