Gin Rummy Online
Gin Rummy is the classic two-player rummy game. Draw and discard to arrange your ten cards into melds, then knock when your leftover cards are low enough, or wait for a perfect gin hand.
How to play Gin Rummy Online
- Each player gets 10 cards. The next card starts the discard pile and the rest form the stock.
- A meld is a set of 3 or 4 cards of the same rank (7♠ 7♥ 7♦) or a run of 3 or more consecutive cards in one suit (4♣ 5♣ 6♣). Aces are low: A-2-3 is a run, Q-K-A is not.
- Cards that are not in a meld are deadwood. Aces count 1, number cards their face value and J, Q, K count 10.
- On the first turn the non-dealer may take the up card or pass, then the dealer gets the same choice. If both pass, the non-dealer draws from the stock.
- On each turn, draw the top card of the stock or the discard pile, then discard one card. You may not discard a card you just picked up from the discard pile.
- When your deadwood is 10 or less after discarding, you may knock to end the hand. With no deadwood at all you go gin.
- After a knock, the opponent may lay off deadwood cards that extend the knocker's melds. The knocker scores the difference in deadwood. If the opponent's deadwood is equal or lower, that is an undercut: the opponent scores the difference plus 25.
- Gin scores 25 plus the opponent's deadwood, and no lay offs are allowed. If the stock runs down to two cards with no knock, the hand is a draw.
- The first player to 100 wins and earns a 100-point game bonus. Each player also adds 25 points for every hand they won.
Controls
- Tap the stock or the discard pile (or use the buttons) to draw.
- Tap a card to select it, then tap it again or press Discard. When the remaining deadwood is 10 or less a Knock button appears (or Gin!).
- Your hand is arranged automatically with melds grouped on the left; use Sort to order by suit or rank instead.
- Lay offs are made for you in the best possible way when the hand ends.
Tips
- Throw away high unmatched cards early: a lonely king costs 10 points if your opponent knocks.
- Watch what the computer picks up from the discard pile and avoid feeding it cards that fit those melds.
- Knocking early with a few points is usually stronger than waiting for gin, but late in the hand watch out for undercuts.
- Cards that fit two possible melds, such as the 7♥ next to 7♠ and 6♥, are worth keeping.
FAQ
What are the rules of gin rummy?
Two players get 10 cards each. Every turn you draw from the stock or the discard pile and then discard one card. Sets of the same rank and runs in one suit are melds; everything else is deadwood. Knock when your deadwood is 10 or less, or go gin with none. The knocker scores the difference in deadwood, an undercut gives the defender 25 plus the difference, and the first to 100 wins.
How do you play gin rummy for beginners?
Pick up a card, throw one away, and try to turn your ten cards into groups of three or more. Throw away high cards that do not fit anything first, keep cards that could join two groups, and knock as soon as your leftover cards add up to 10 or less. The hand shows your melds and deadwood total as you go.
Can I lay off cards myself?
Lay offs are calculated automatically for whoever did not knock, always choosing the arrangement that leaves the least deadwood.
Is there a big gin bonus?
No. This version keeps the standard scoring: gin is worth 25 plus the opponent's deadwood.
Will my game be saved?
Yes. The current hand and score are stored in your browser, so reloading the page resumes the same deal.