How to play Gin Rummy
Gin Rummy is the sharpest two-player card game ever devised: ten cards, one draw and one discard per turn, and a running duel over who can shape a hand faster. Your goal is to arrange your cards into melds — three or four of a kind, or runs of three-plus cards in one suit — while shrinking your deadwood, the point value of everything left over.
- Your turn — draw the top card of the stock or the face-up discard, then discard one card.
- Knocking — with 10 or less deadwood you may knock. Your opponent lays off what fits your melds, and you score the deadwood difference.
- Gin — meld all ten cards for a 25-point bonus, with no lay-offs against you.
- Undercut — knock carelessly and an opponent who matches or beats your count takes the points, plus 25.
- The game — hands repeat until someone reaches 100 points.
This version counts your minimal deadwood for you, underlines your melds, and offers the knock whenever a discard makes it legal — the arithmetic is handled, the decisions are all yours.
Strategy tips that win hands
- Watch what the discard pile tells you. Every card your opponent takes reveals a meld in progress; every card they throw marks a dead area. Feed them nothing adjacent to their picks.
- Knock early. The first knock opportunity is usually the best one — waiting for gin gives your opponent time to sink their own deadwood, and undercuts punish hesitation.
- Keep low cards, shed honors. Unmatched face cards are 10-point liabilities. Two unconnected low cards beat one handsome king.
- Hold two-way cards. A 7♥ next to your 7♣ and 8♥ can complete a set or a run — twice the outs, same slot in your hand.
- Take the upcard sparingly. Drawing from the discard shows your opponent exactly what you collect. Do it when it completes a meld, rarely for a mere improvement.
- Count the stock. When it runs low, hands go void — if you are ahead on deadwood, play safe cards and let the clock kill the hand.
Frequently asked questions
What are the basic rules of Gin Rummy?
Each player holds 10 cards. On your turn, draw from the stock or the discard pile, then discard one card. Arrange your hand into melds — sets of the same rank or runs in one suit — and when your unmatched cards ("deadwood") total 10 points or less, you may knock to end the hand.
What is deadwood in Gin Rummy?
Deadwood is every card not part of a meld. Aces count 1, face cards 10, everything else its pip value. This version calculates your minimal deadwood automatically and shows it live above your hand.
What is the difference between knocking and going gin?
Knocking ends the hand with 10 or less deadwood; you score the difference between your deadwood and your opponent's, but they may first lay off cards onto your melds. Gin means zero deadwood: no lay-offs allowed and you earn a 25-point bonus on top.
What is an undercut?
If you knock and your opponent's deadwood (after laying off) is equal to or lower than yours, they undercut you: they score the difference plus a 25-point bonus. Knocking with 9 or 10 deadwood late in a hand is how undercuts happen.
Do aces count high or low in Gin Rummy?
Low only. A-2-3 is a valid run, Q-K-A is not, and an ace is worth just 1 point of deadwood — which is why aces are among the best cards to keep.
Can I play Gin Rummy online for free against the computer?
Yes — this version runs entirely in your browser against a computer opponent, with nothing to download and no account needed. Your game saves automatically so you can resume any time.
More free card games
Enjoy head-to-head play? Try the shedding classic Crazy Eights, the partnership battle Spades, or dodge the Queen in Hearts.