Gin Rummy Card Game
Classic two-player Gin Rummy: draw and discard, meld runs and sets, knock at 10 deadwood or less, and chase the perfect Gin.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is Gin Rummy?
Gin Rummy is a classic two-player rummy card game from the early 1900s. Each player gets 10 cards and takes turns drawing and discarding, trying to arrange their hand into melds — runs of the same suit and sets of the same rank. The round ends when one player knocks or goes Gin.
What counts as a meld?
A meld is either a run — three or more consecutive cards of the same suit (A-2-3 is the lowest; the ace never wraps to K) — or a set — three or four cards of the same rank in different suits. Any card not in a meld is deadwood.
When can I knock?
After you discard, if the deadwood left in your hand is 10 points or less, you may knock to end the round. The game shows your live deadwood estimate, and the Knock button unlocks only when a legal discard would bring you to 10 or less.
What is the difference between Knock and Gin?
A Knock ends the round with 10 or fewer deadwood points, and the opponent gets one chance to lay off deadwood onto your melds. Gin means all ten cards are melded (zero deadwood): the opponent cannot lay off anything, and you receive a 25-point bonus on top of their deadwood.
What are lay offs and undercuts?
After a Knock, the defender may extend the knocker's melds with matching deadwood cards — that's a lay off, and it lowers the defender's count. If after laying off the defender's deadwood is equal to or lower than the knocker's, it's an undercut: the defender scores the difference plus 25 points instead.
What happens if the stock runs out?
If the last stock card has been drawn and the following discard completes, the round ends as a draw — no one scores. This mirrors the classic rule that a Gin Rummy round cannot continue without a stock to draw from.
How is Oklahoma Gin different from the classic game?
In Oklahoma, the face-up card that starts the discard pile sets the knock limit for that hand: its point value (aces count zero, 10/J/Q/K count 10) is the most deadwood you may knock with. If the upcard is a spade, both players' scores for the hand — including Gin and undercut bonuses — are doubled. Everything else plays exactly like the classic game, where the limit is always 10.
Why does an ace upcard force you to go Gin?
In Oklahoma the ace counts as zero, so the knock limit for that hand is zero deadwood. Since any knocking hand has at least some deadwood, no knock is possible — the only way to end the hand with a win is Gin: melding all ten cards for zero deadwood. Otherwise the hand drifts to a draw when the stock runs out.
Game Overview
- Two players: you against an AI opponent.
- Standard 52-card deck. Each player is dealt 10 cards; the 21st card is turned face up to start the discard pile, the rest form the stock.
- Form your hand into melds and knock with 10 or less deadwood — or go Gin with zero deadwood.
- Every turn has two steps: draw one card (from the stock or the discard pile), then discard one. The card you took from the discard pile cannot be thrown back the same turn.
Round Flow
- Opening choice: the non-dealer may take the face-up card or pass; if both pass, the non-dealer draws from the stock.
- On your turn, draw one card from the stock or take the top of the discard pile.
- Optionally declare Knock (if your deadwood is 10 or less), then discard one card.
- If the stock runs out after a discard, the round is a draw.
Melds
Runs
Three or more consecutive cards of the same suit, e.g. 5-6-7 of hearts. The ace is low only: A-2-3 is valid, Q-K-A is not.
Sets
Three or four cards of the same rank in different suits, e.g. 9 of hearts, 9 of clubs and 9 of spades.
Deadwood
Cards that are not part of any meld are deadwood. Your deadwood total decides whether you can knock and how the round is scored.
Knock
If your deadwood after discarding is 10 points or less, you may knock to end the round. Both hands are revealed; the opponent may lay off deadwood cards onto your melds. If your deadwood is lower, you score the difference; if the opponent matches or beats you, they undercut you.
Gin
Meld all ten cards and your deadwood is zero — that's Gin. The opponent cannot lay off anything, and you score the opponent's deadwood plus a 25-point bonus.
Undercut
If, after laying off, the defender's deadwood is equal to or lower than the knocker's, the knocker was too eager: the defender scores the difference plus a 25-point bonus, and the knocker scores nothing.
Oklahoma Variant
Oklahoma Gin is the most popular Gin Rummy variant. One face-up card changes the whole hand: the card that starts the discard pile sets this hand's rules, and the game shows the knock limit in the top bar.
- Knock limit: the upcard's value is this hand's knock threshold — a 5 means you need 5 deadwood or less, a face card or 10 means 10.
- Spades double: if the upcard is a spade, both sides' scores for the hand are doubled — including Gin and undercut bonuses.
- Ace upcard: the knock limit is zero, so no deadwood can qualify — the hand can only be finished by going Gin (or end as a draw when the stock runs out).
- Everything else — melds, lay offs, undercuts, bonuses — works exactly like the classic game.
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