Gin Rummy

Game guide · YOUDIYOU

Rules, controls and help for Gin Rummy

For a calm first round, focus on one decision. Build sets and same-suit runs in a ten-card hand, then knock with 10 or fewer deadwood points or go Gin with none. Check the relevant controls before continuing. Treat this as a chance to practise one rule. The game uses a single 52-card deck with no jokers. Both players receive 10 cards. Aces are low and count 1. Take the next action only when the current step is clear.

Two-player game against a computer. Fixed house scoring: 25-point Gin and undercut bonuses; first to 100, no line/game bonus. The starting player alternates each hand. Big Gin is not included. Current hands save locally.

Practice beyond the first move

Begin with the objective. The starting player may take the upcard or pass. If both players pass, the starter must draw from the stock. Use another round to revisit a decision.

The purpose of your moves

Build sets and same-suit runs in a ten-card hand, then knock with 10 or fewer deadwood points or go Gin with none. Use another round to revisit a decision. Look at the complete hand before deciding.

How to proceed

1. The game uses a single 52-card deck with no jokers. Both players receive 10 cards. Aces are low and count 1.
2. The starting player may take the upcard or pass. If both players pass, the starter must draw from the stock.
3. Draw one card, then select a different discard when you took from the discard pile. Melds stay in your hand during play.
4. Choose Knock / Gin with a selected discard. After discarding, deadwood must be 10 or less. Otherwise continue playing.
5. Against a knock, the defender may group cards and lay off unmatched cards on the knocker’s melds. No layoffs are allowed against Gin.
6. Gin earns 25 plus defender deadwood. A successful knock earns the difference. A defender with an equal or lower count undercuts for 25 plus the difference.
7. The first player to reach 100 points wins this match. There are no additional line or end-of-match bonuses. A stock reduced to two cards ends a non-knocking hand with no score.

The controls to know

Tap a card to select it. Use the labelled pile and action buttons. Sort by rank or suit; the hand wraps onto additional rows on a phone. The same rule applies on a phone and on a computer. Keep the active rule in mind.

Follow the example

A knocker with 8 deadwood against a defender with 5 after layoffs is undercut: the defender scores 25 + 8 − 5 = 28. Return to the explanation when a decision is unclear.

A mistake to avoid

Before making a move, check the cards in view. Q–K–A is not a Gin run: Aces are low. A defender cannot lay off against Gin, and a picked-up discard cannot be returned on the same turn. Check the relevant controls before continuing.

If you are unsure