How To Play Gin
In online gin rummy, 10 cards each are dealt to 2 players. The 21-st card is opened face up and put next to the deck. This card is often referred to as upcard or up card. At each turn players draw a card by dragging it or double-clicking it from either the closed deck or from upcard. An interesting facet of Gin Rummy is that players have more than one way of going out. Players can either go out via the traditional method known as Gin or by knocking. Gin – Players must create a meld out of all cards in their hands. A player must pick up a card from the discard or stock pile before going Gin.
The Basics of Gin Rummy
-Number of players: two or more;
-Playing time: 5 minutes (per hand)
-Cards: standard deck with no joker.
-Ranking: King (high) down to Ace (low). Suits are equal. Court cards count 10 each, Aces count 1 and other cards their pip values.
-Deal: highest cut has option on deal. At this stage only, when cards are equal, suits are ranked in the following order: Spades (high), Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs (low). Each player is dealt 10 cards, singly and alternately, and the remainder of the pack is stacked face down to form the stock pile. The top card is turned over adjacent to it to start the discard pile. The dealer alternates.
History
Gin is probably the best of the two-handed Rummy card games. It was popular in America during the early decades of this century. It then suffered a decline, only to come back briefly to enjoy unprecedented publicity during the 1940s after Hollywood stars adopted it as their favorite game for filling in time between takes.;
Object of the Game
To form one’s hand into melds (sets) and reduce the number and value of unmatched cards.
How to Play Gin Rummy
Elder may now draw a card and take the face-up card from the deck and replace it with a discard from hand. If Elder does not want it, Younger may pick it up and replace it with a discard from hand. If Younger does not want it, Elder now will draw the top card from the stock pile and replaces it with a card from hand face up to the discard pile (which is kept squared up so that the cards below it are not visible). From here on, a player may take either the face-up card from the discard pile or the top card from the stock pile, in both cases surrendering a card from hand to the discard pile.
There are two kinds of meld: a set of three or four cards of the same rank (for example, Jacks); and a sequence (three or more cards of the same suit in order, for example – 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, all of Diamonds). Notice that A, K, Q of a suit is not a sequence since Ace ranks low.
Either player with unmatched cards (“deadwood”) that total 10 or less may, but is not obliged to, “knock”, thereby ending the hand. Knocking is done physically by rapping the table after drawing a card (but before discarding). The knocker discards and then puts the hand down, face up, divided into melds and deadwood. Provided that the knocker has deadwood the second player may now “lay off” any number of cards from hand to the exposed melds; for example, by adding the fourth Jack to a set of three Jacks. The purpose of laying off is to reduce deadwood which otherwise counts against the player.
Scoring
When the opponent has laid off, both players declare the total value of their unmatched cards (“the count”). If the knocker’s total is zero – in which case the opponent may not lay off – this is gin and scores 25 for the knocker.
If the opponent’s total is higher, the knocker scores the point difference between the two hands (for instance, if the knocker declares four, and the opponent declares 27, the knocker scores 23). If the opponent’s total is equal to or lower than that of the knocker, the opponent scores the difference, if any, plus 25 for “the undercut”.
Running totals are kept with a line under each hand won, and the first player to reach 100 wins the game and scores an additional 100 points. Each player then adds 25 points for every hand won. If one player fails to score, the opponent’s score is doubled (“shut out”).
Tips on How to Win Gin Rummy
It is imperative to remember every card in the up pile (recall that is squared up so that only the top card is exposed). This will be invaluable in calculating the odds against getting a card you want: there is no point holding on to two Jacks if the other two have been discarded! It is just as important to watch your opponent’s play carefully: every up card is taken or rejected, and each card discarded, tells you something of the composition of his hand.
It is a good principle to knock as early as possible; but if there is a chance of gin it may be better to hold up, since if your opponent knocks you could well score for the undercut. However, do not hold up for more than a turn or two – a gin is only worth double a knock.
A hand can have several embryo melds. Which to keep and for long is a matter of judgment, but should take into account what lies in the discard pile. If you hold two cards of the same rank the chance of getting a third is about the same as of securing a sequence – provided that the pair of cards you hold are capable of being extended at either end. Don’t for example; hang on to King, Queen or 8, 6. A favorable holding would be 4 of Clubs, 4 of Diamond, 3 of Clubs, when you have the advantage of two chances of a sequence and two for a set of 4s coupled with low penalty points if your opponent knocks.
Hold back any card you think your opponent wants. Apart from the obvious advantage, you may be able to lay it off if you are beaten to the knock. Otherwise, reduce your deadwood at every opportunity – even break up a pair if there is a significant gain. Discard a Queen from a pair, for example, if you pick up a deuce. Finally, if you knock, arrange your hand so as to minimize layoffs.
An Example Hand of Gin Rummy
Elder declines the turn-up. Younger takes it, melds three 7s and discards the 8 of diamonds.
Elder picks up 6 of Clubs and discards it, holding on to the King and Queen for one round. Younger picks up 6 of Diamonds and discards it likewise (it would have been better to have discarded the Queen of Hearts, but Younger is praying for the Jack of Hearts). Elder then picks up 3 of Clubs, making a second meld, and throws out King of Clubs.
Younger picks up 4 of Diamonds and discards Queen of Hearts – it would be dangerous to retain it any longer. Elder picks up 7 of Diamonds and gets rid of the Queen of Clubs; Younger picks up 6 of Hearts and discards the 10 of Hearts in order to reduce deadwood.
Elder picks up Jack of Diamonds and discards it.
Younger joyfully takes it to meld three Jacks and throws away the 9 of Hearts. Elder, joyful in turn, retrieves the 9 of Hearts; melds the 9s; knocks; discards the 7 of Diamonds; and spreads his hand, separating the melds.
Elder
Younger
Elder has a count of one. Younger now spreads his hand and lays off the 6 of Hearts and 2 of Hearts, thereby reducing his deadwood, for a count of nine. Notice that Elder cannot now add the Ace to the heart meld. Elder wins by 8 points and at the end of the game will score a further 25 points for the line.
Variants
A number of variations in scoring may be encountered. A game can be for 150 or 200 points: the gin and box bonuses can score 20 instead of 25, and the undercut can score 10 instead of 20 – or indeed any combination of these and the point values are given above.
A common procedure is for the 21st card to be dealt to Elder who then discards to start the up pile.
A variant which has now largely taken over from the parent game, and is recommended is Oklahoma Gin. There is only one rule change: the turn-up determines the maximum number of points a player may have in deadwood in order to knock. If the turn-up is Ace, some players require gin in order to knock. Gamblers are fond of doubling scores for the hand if the turn-up is a Spade.
How To Play Gin
Gin is a 2 player game that uses a standard 52 card deck. Cards are ranked from King (high) down to Ace (low). Each player will have a ten-card hand. The object of the game is to form sets and runs, known as melds, eliminating deadwood in the hand.
MELDS:
Melds can be either:
– A set of 3 or 4 cards of the same rank (7 – 7 – 7) or
– A run of 3 or more sequenced cards of the same suit (2♥ – 3♥ – 4♥).
A card cannot be included in more than one meld. For example, a 6 cannot be part of a 5-6-7 run and also be part of a set of three 6s. One of those melds would not count.
DEADWOOD:
How To Play Gin Cards
Cards that are not included in melds are known as deadwood. These cards each have a point value that counts against the player. Face cards count as 10, others according to their numerical values and Aces count as 1.
PLAY:
The dealer of the first hand is chosen at random. After that, the winner of each hand will deal the next. Each player receives ten cards, but then an additional card is dealt to to the non-dealer. The remaining cards from the deck become the stock pile. On the first turn, the non-dealer must discard one card from his hand by placing it face-up in the discard pile (to the right of the stock pile).
After that, players alternate turns. Each player’s turn consists of:
– Drawing one card from either the stock pile or the discard pile and then
– Discarding one card onto the discard pile.
The object is to form melds and eliminate deadwood. The hand will end in one of three ways: a player may knock, go gin, or the game may end in a draw.
KNOCKING:
A player has the option to knock when they have 10 points or less of deadwood. This will end the hand. For example, a player can knock with this hand:
Jack ♦ – Jack ♠ – Jack ♥ (a set)
3 ♣ – 4 ♣ – 5 ♣ – 6 ♣ – 7 ♣ (a run)
Ace ♥ – 2 ♦ (deadwood totaling 3 points)
To knock, place the discard in the KNOCK pile (to the left of the stock pile). Your hand will automatically be sorted into the most favorable melds to create the least amount of deadwood.
The defending player has the option to “lay off” any unmatched cards that can fit into the knocking player’s melds, thus reducing his deadwood count. The knocker may not lay off cards into the defender’s hand, and the defender may not lay off if the knocker has gin. If the knocking player has a lower deadwood count than the defender, he is awarded the difference in points. For example, if a player knocks with 8 deadwood points and the defender has a deadwood count of 30, the difference of 22 points goes to the knocker. In this game, the laying off of cards is handled automatically at the end of the hand and the score (after layoffs) is displayed on the score card.
If the knocking player has an equal or higher deadwood count than the defender, he has been “undercut”. The defender is awarded a 25 point undercut bonus in addition to the difference (if any) in deadwood points.
GOING GIN:
If a player knocks with no deadwood, this is known as “going gin”. There is no option to lay off cards in the case of a gin hand. The player with gin is awarded a 25 point gin bonus plus points for all the opponent’s deadwood.
DRAWN HAND:
When only 2 cards remain in the stock pile, the hand is considered a draw. Once the 50th card has been picked up and a discard made without a knock, the hand is canceled. The player who dealt the drawn hand will deal again.
SCORING:
How To Play Gin Rummy Youtube
Matches are played up to 100 points. In a simple match, the first player to reach 100 points is declared the winner. In a traditional match, once a player reaches 100 points, bonuses are awarded as follows:
How To Play Gin Rummy
GAME BONUS – 100 points awarded to the player who first reaches 100 points.
BOX BONUS – Each player scores 25 points for each hand they won during the match.
SHUTOUT BONUS – If a match is completed with one player winning every hand, the winner receives an additional 100 point shutout bonus.
How To Play Gin Rummy
In a traditional match, the first player to reach 100 points may not necessarily win the match after the box bonuses are awarded.