Learn Gin Rummy: Free Interactive Tutorial
Gin rummy is a two-player card game of melds and deadwood. In eight steps on a real table you take a discard, knock, go gin, undercut a knock, and learn one habit of good players.
Step 1 of 8
The deal
Each player is dealt 10 cards. The next card goes face up to start the discard pile, and the rest of the deck is the stock, face down. Both are marked with a star. Your cards are at the bottom; your opponent's stay hidden at the top.
The aim is to arrange your hand into melds and keep the cards left over cheap. Each round scores points, and the first player to 100 wins the game.
Sets and runs
A meld is a set or a run. A set is three or four cards of one rank, like your 7♥ 7♦ 7♣. A run is three or more cards in a row in one suit, like your 4♠ 5♠ 6♠. Aces are low: A-2-3 is a run, Q-K-A is not.
Every card outside a meld is deadwood, and it counts against you: an ace 1 point, a number card its number, and a jack, queen or king 10. Your K♦, 9♥, 3♦ and 2♣ make 24, the count under your hand.
Spot the meld
Which of these three groups is a meld?
Draw, then discard
Each turn you draw one card, from the stock or from the top of the discard pile, then discard one. The 3♠ on the pile makes your run 3♠ 4♠ 5♠ 6♠. Then throw away your costliest loose card. You can't throw back the card you just took from the pile.
Your move
Take the 3♠ from the discard pile, then discard the K♦.
Knock
After you draw, if the card you discard leaves 10 or less in deadwood, you may knock: lay your hand down and end the round. You drew the 6♥ for 3♥ 4♥ 5♥ 6♥. Throw the K♣, and your loose cards are the 2♦, 4♣ and A♠: 7 points.
When you knock, your opponent lays down their melds and may add cards to yours. If their deadwood is still higher than yours, you score the difference.
Your move
Knock, discarding the K♣.
Go gin
If your discard leaves no deadwood at all, you have gin. You drew the 4♣ for A♣ 2♣ 3♣ 4♣. With your three 7s and J♦ Q♦ K♦, every card but the 9♥ is in a meld.
Gin scores your opponent's deadwood plus a 25-point bonus, and your opponent can't add cards to your melds. If all eleven cards meld before you discard, that is big gin, with a 31-point bonus.
Your move
Go gin, discarding the 9♥.
Lay off, and undercut
Your opponent drew the 8♠ and knocked. Their melds are on the table, 10♥ 10♦ 10♣ and 5♠ 6♠ 7♠ 8♠, with 6 points of deadwood: A♣, 2♥ and 3♦. Before the count you lay off: add your loose cards to their melds. Your 4♠ and 9♠ fit their run, and your 10♠ makes their 10s a set of four.
If your deadwood ends equal to or lower than the knocker's, it is an undercut: you score the difference plus 25.
Your move
Lay off your 4♠, 9♠ and 10♠, then press Done.
Watch the discard pile
A card your opponent takes from the discard pile tells you what they are building. They just took the 8♥ and threw the K♠, and you drew the 2♦. Your two 9s are your costliest loose cards, 9 points each.
Your move
Discard the 9 that is safer to give your opponent.
What you learned
- Melds are sets (one rank) and runs (one suit, in a row). Aces are low.
- Each turn, draw from the stock or the discard pile, then discard.
- If the stock is down to two cards and nobody has knocked, the round is a draw.
- Deadwood is what lies outside your melds. Knock with 10 or less, after your discard.
- Gin scores a 25-point bonus, and nobody can lay off on it.
- After a knock, lay off on the knocker's melds. Equal or lower deadwood is an undercut, worth 25 more.
- Watch what your opponent takes from the pile, and don't throw them what they need.
Take it to the table.
Put what you just read into practice. No sign-up needed.