How do you play gin rummy?

Gin rummy has a quick, satisfying loop: draw a card, improve your hand, throw a card away, and end the hand the moment your deadwood is low enough. Here's the whole flow.

Quick answer: Two players each get ten cards. On your turn you draw one card - from the stock or the discard pile - then discard one, trying to group your hand into melds (sets and runs). When your unmatched cards total ten points or fewer, you can knock to end the hand and score the difference in deadwood, or go gin for a bonus.

Setting up the hand

From a standard 52-card deck, each player is dealt ten cards. The 21st card is turned face up to start the discard pile (the upcard), and the rest form the stock. The non-dealer gets first choice of that upcard. See how to deal gin rummy for the exact sequence.

The moves you make

On each turn you draw one card - the face-up upcard or the top of the stock - then discard one. Your aim is to form melds: sets of three or four cards of the same rank, and runs of three or more consecutive cards in one suit. Aces are low.

Ending the hand

Once your unmatched cards - your deadwood - total ten points or fewer, you may knock to end the hand. Meld everything with zero deadwood and you've gone gin for a bonus. Then you score, deal again, and play until someone reaches the match target. The rules hub walks through it with pictures.

Play Gin Rummy

Related questions

What is the goal of gin rummy?

The immediate goal each hand is to arrange your ten cards into melds and cut your unmatched cards (deadwood) to ten or fewer, so you can knock and score - or go gin for a bonus. The overall goal is to be the first player to reach the match target, commonly 100 or 500 points.

What is a meld in gin rummy?

A meld is a valid group of cards you form in your hand. There are two kinds: a set (three or four cards of the same rank, like three Kings) and a run (three or more consecutive cards in the same suit, like 5-6-7 of hearts). Any card in a meld doesn't count against you as deadwood.

What does it mean to knock in gin rummy?

Knocking ends the hand. You may knock the moment your unmatched cards - your deadwood - total ten points or fewer. You lay down your melds and your deadwood, your opponent lays off what they can, and the player with the lower deadwood scores the difference. Knock too greedily and you risk being undercut.