Gin Rummy rules

Rules at a glance

• Two players, 52-card deck, 10 cards each; ace is low in runs.
• Sets: three or four of a kind. Runs: three or more consecutive cards in one suit.
• Unmatched cards are deadwood — face cards count 10, aces 1, others their pip value.
• Knock at 10 deadwood or less after you discard; the defender may lay off onto your melds.
• Go gin with zero deadwood — the defender cannot lay off, and you score a 25-point gin bonus plus their deadwood.
• If the defender’s deadwood is equal or lower after layoffs, they undercut you for 25 plus the difference.
• First player to 100 points wins the match.

Setup

Gin Rummy uses a standard 52-card deck. Deal 10 cards to each player. Turn the next card face up to start the discard pile; the rest form the stock.

Hands

Each player is dealt 10 cards. On Classic Deck Games you sit across from a computer opponent.

Stock

The remaining face-down cards form the stock. Draw from here to keep your needs hidden.

Discard pile

One card is turned face up to start the discard pile. On later turns you may take the top discard instead of drawing from stock.

How to play

1. Non-dealer is offered the upcard first: take it and discard, or pass. If both pass, the non-dealer draws from stock to begin normal play.
2. On a normal turn, draw one card from the stock or take the top discard.
3. If you take the discard (or opening upcard), you may not discard that same card on the same turn.
4. Arrange your hand into melds — sets and runs — while discarding one card face up.
5. After drawing, you may knock if deadwood after your discard is 10 or less, or go gin with zero deadwood.
6. Hands score until someone reaches 100 match points.

Melds and deadwood

Your goal each hand is to arrange cards into melds and keep unmatched cards — deadwood — as low as possible.

Deadwood values

Knocking, gin, and layoffs

After drawing, if discarding one card leaves you with 10 deadwood points or less, you may knock. Discard face down, expose your melds and remaining deadwood, and end the hand. The defender then reveals and may lay off unmatched cards onto your melds when they fit.

If every card in your hand is melded after the face-down discard, you go gin. Gin scores a 25-point bonus plus the opponent’s full deadwood, and the defender cannot lay off.

Scoring

Hands add to a running match score. First player to 100 points wins. For a deeper walkthrough with examples, see Gin Rummy scoring and knock vs going gin.

Knock win

You knock and keep lower deadwood after the defender lays off. Score the difference in deadwood.

Undercut

You knock but the defender ends equal or lower after layoffs. They score 25 plus the difference.

Gin

You go gin (zero deadwood). Score 25 plus the opponent’s full deadwood. Layoffs are not allowed.

Stock exhausted

Stock down to two cards with no knock or gin. The hand is cancelled — no points scored, same dealer redeals.

House rules on Classic Deck Games

This table enforces classic Gin Rummy as implemented on Classic Deck Games — the same scoring the engine uses for every knock, gin, and undercut.

• Two players, standard 52-card deck, 10 cards each.
• You cannot immediately re-discard a card you just took from the discard pile or opening upcard.
• Knock when unmatched deadwood is 10 points or less after the face-down discard.
• Gin bonus +25 plus the opponent’s full deadwood; no layoffs after gin.
• Undercut bonus +25 for the defender when their deadwood is equal or lower after layoffs.
• Match target: first player to 100 points wins.
• If the stock is reduced to two cards and neither player knocks, the hand is cancelled — no points, and the same dealer deals again.
• Ace is low in runs. Melds of three or four cards of a rank (sets) or three-plus consecutive same-suit cards (runs).

Basic strategy while learning

• Dump high deadwood early (Kings, Queens, tens) when they are not building toward a meld.
• Prefer cards that work two ways — a card that could finish either a set or a run stays flexible longer.
• Be cautious drawing from the discard pile; it tells your opponent what you need.
• Watch what the bot takes and throws away to guess which suits and ranks it is building.
• Knock with low deadwood (about 5 or less) rather than gambling every hand for gin — undercut risk grows when you knock high.

Playing Gin Rummy on Classic Deck Games

• Play against Easy, Normal, or Hard computer opponents — no multiplayer lobby.
• Hint highlights the stock, discard, Pass, or discard card that fits your current step.
• Undo steps back through your human moves when the rules allow.
• After a knock or gin, hands reveal with meld grouping and animated layoffs when they apply.
• Local Statistics track matches and hands on this device.
• Mobile menu keeps New game, Rules, Statistics, Undo, difficulty, and sound off the table chrome.

FAQ

What is deadwood in Gin Rummy?

Deadwood is any card not part of a legal meld. Its point value is what you try to minimize before you knock or go gin. Face cards count 10, aces count 1, and other cards count their pip value.

When can I knock?

After you draw, if discarding one card leaves you with 10 deadwood points or less, you may knock. Discard face down (the Knock button) and expose your melds and remaining deadwood.

What is the difference between knocking and going gin?

Knocking ends the hand with some deadwood (≤10). Going gin means every remaining card is in a meld (0 deadwood). Gin scores a 25-point bonus and blocks the defender from laying off cards onto your melds.

What is an undercut?

If you knock and the defender’s deadwood is equal to or lower than yours after they lay off onto your melds, they undercut you. They score a 25-point undercut bonus plus the deadwood difference.

Can the defender lay off after gin?

No. Layoffs are only allowed after a knock. After gin, the defender scores no layoffs and you receive their full deadwood plus the gin bonus.

Is ace high or low in Gin Rummy?

Ace is low only. A-2-3 of a suit is a legal run; Q-K-A is not on Classic Deck Games.

What happens if the stock runs out?

If the stock is reduced to two cards and neither player knocks or goes gin, the hand is cancelled. No points are scored, and the same dealer deals again — the classic Gin Rummy rule used on most online sites.

Who gets the first upcard?

The non-dealer is offered the face-up upcard first. They may take it or pass. If they pass, the dealer may take or pass. If both pass, the non-dealer draws from stock and play continues normally.