Gin Rummy

Gin Rummy is a card game played with 2 to 4 people . In a 2 player game each player is dealt 10 cards and in a 3 or 4 player game - each person is dealt 7 cards. The aim of the game is to arrange as many of the cards in your hand into sets of cards or runs.

For easy reading - we have based these rules on a 2 player game of Gin Rummy but the same concept applies in a 3 or 4 player game.

Gin Rummy Deck of Cards

Gin Rummy is played with a standard 52 card deck and the Aces are classed as low cards. Each card is worth points. An Ace is 1 point, A picture card is 10 points and all other cards are worth the points of the number of the card. i.e a 3 would be worth 3 points.

Dealing Gin Rummy Cards

The dealer is chosen randomly and changes in each round. 10 cards are dealt face down to each player . The last card - also known as the "upcard" is placed face up in the middle of the table on the "discard pile" . The rest of the cards which are known as "the stock" are placed next to the discard pile.

Aim of the Gin Rummy Game

The aim of the game is to arrange as many cards in your hand into sets or runs of cards - "melds" . A set consists of 3 or more cards of the same rank - i.e 3 7's or 4 Queens. A Run consists of 3 or more consecutive cards of the same suit - i.e 3,4 and 5 of clubs or 10, Jack, Queen, King of Diamonds. The general idea is to reduce your "deadwood" cards as much as possible. i.e cards that don't fit in any where. You can not use the same card for 2 sets at the same time.

The Actual Game Play

The first player chooses to take an "upcard" from the discard pile or takes a closed card from the "stock pile" and discards one of his "deadwood cards" onto the discard pile. Tip: The player would choose a card that he can see from the discard pile if it can fir into his hands - i.e to make a run or a set . If the card doesn't fit in, he would take his chances by choosing a card from the "stock" pile. Play continues until the first player "knocks".

Gin Rummy Knocking and End of Game Play

The game ends when a player knocks. A Player can knock as soon as he likes as long as his "deadwood" cards do not add up to more than 10 points. He then throws 1 card away and spreads out his remaining 10 cards to show the sets or runs. If he has managed to use up all his cards and has no "deadwood" cards left - this is known as "Going Gin" and he then receives 25 bonus points.

The players opponent must then spread their cards out face up and try and arrange them into sets and runs and add additional cards to the "knockers" laid down hands to try and "lay off " as many cards as possible. However, if the other player had ended the game play by "Going Gin" then the other player is not allowed to lay off any unmatched cards.

The end of play also comes if the "stock pile" only has 2 cards left in it and the player who took the last card discards without knocking. The Game is then cancelled, no one gets a score and the same dealer deals again.

Asides from the 25 bonus points that a player gets when calls "gin" - he also gets the points of the values of the opponent players "deadwood" cards.

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