Gin Rummy: Rules and How to Play
Gin Rummy is a two-player card game taking about 15 minutes. Build sets and runs while reducing unmatched cards. Play free in your browser, with no account.
Objective
Gin Rummy is a two-player card game. You try to arrange your ten cards into melds — sets of the same rank and runs in one suit — while keeping the value of your unmatched cards (deadwood) low. End a hand by knocking, or go gin with no deadwood at all, and score the difference. The first player to reach 100 points wins.
Setup
- Two players and a standard 52-card deck without jokers. Aces are low: the order runs A, 2, 3 … 10, J, Q, K.
- Deal ten cards each. Put the rest face down as the stock and turn the top card face up to start the discard pile.
- The player who starts may take that first upcard or pass. If they pass, the opponent may take it. If both pass, the starting player draws from the stock and play carries on as normal.
- The first seat starts the first hand. After a scored hand the starting player alternates; after a drawn hand the same player starts again.
How to play
- A meld is three or four cards of the same rank (a set), or three or more cards in sequence in one suit (a run). A-2-3 is a run, but Q-K-A is not. A card can only be in one meld.
- On your turn, draw the top card of the stock or the top card of the discard pile, then discard one card. You cannot discard the card you just took from the discard pile.
- Unmatched cards are deadwood. Aces count 1, number cards their face value and face cards 10.
- If your deadwood after discarding is 10 or less, you may knock: press Knock after choosing your discard. With zero deadwood you go gin. Your melds are arranged automatically for the lowest deadwood.
- After a knock, the opponent lays out their melds and may lay off unmatched cards on the knocker's melds, reducing their own deadwood. There are no layoffs against gin.
- If only two cards are left in the stock and the player who just drew discards without knocking, the hand is a draw and nobody scores. The stock is never reshuffled.
Winning and scoring
- Knock: the knocker scores the difference between the two deadwood counts, after layoffs.
- Undercut: if the opponent's deadwood is equal to or lower than the knocker's, the opponent scores the difference plus a 25-point undercut bonus.
- Gin: score the opponent's deadwood plus a 25-point gin bonus.
- Hands continue until someone reaches 100 points; that player wins. No game or line bonuses are added.
Common variants
- Bonuses: 25 for gin and 25 for an undercut are common today, while older books give 20 for gin and 10 for an undercut. You can set 20 or 25 for gin and 10 or 25 for undercuts here.
- Game and line bonuses: many players add 100 for winning the game and 25 for every hand won, and double everything for a shutout. This site scores hands only.
- Big Gin: some play that a player who can meld all eleven cards after drawing may go "big gin" for a larger bonus. It is not played here.
- Oklahoma Gin: the value of the first upcard sets the most deadwood you may knock with in that hand, and a spade upcard doubles the score.
- Shorter games: a table can play to 50 points or a single hand.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | In ranked play, a draw counts as halfway between a win and a loss for your rating. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winning scoreWinning scoreA deal runs from the deal itself until someone knocks or the stock runs out. The winner's points are added up, and the game ends once a total reaches this score. One deal settles it in a single hand, which is handy while learning. | Zero ends after one deal. | 100 | Yes |
| Gin bonusGin bonusGin means knocking with no deadwood (every card in a meld). Going gin scores your opponent's deadwood plus this bonus. Tables use 25 or 20. | Choose the bonus used by your table. | 25 | Yes |
| Undercut bonusUndercut bonusAn undercut happens when the player who was knocked on has the same or less deadwood than the knocker; they then score the difference plus this bonus. A bigger bonus makes knocking with a lot of deadwood riskier. Tables use 25 or 10. | Choose the bonus used by your table. | 25 | Yes |
Terms
- Meld
- Three or four of a rank, or at least three consecutive cards of one suit.
- Deadwood
- The point total of unmatched cards.
- Knock
- End the deal with ten or fewer deadwood points.
- Gin
- Knock with zero deadwood.
- Layoff
- Add unmatched cards to the knocker’s melds.
FAQ
Can an ace follow a king?
No. Aces are low and can form runs such as A-2-3.
How is this different from Rummy and Seven Bridge?
Gin Rummy is for two players: melds stay in your hand and you knock when your unmatched cards total 10 or less. In Rummy (2-6 players) you lay melds on the table, lay off on them, and race to empty your hand. Seven Bridge is a Japanese rummy that adds a seven exception and pon/chi calls.
Can I play a shorter game?
Choose one deal or a 50-point game in local rules.
What if deadwood is tied?
The defender undercuts when their deadwood is equal to the knocker’s.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-16 · Run by Qdan, Inc.