Gin Rummy Rules for Two Players
In gin rummy each player holds ten cards and tries to form sets (three or four of a kind) and runs (three or more in suit order). Players draw one card and discard one every turn. Knock when your unmatched cards total 10 points or less; the lower total wins the difference. First to 100 wins the game.
Setup and the deal
Use a standard 52-card deck with no jokers. Players cut for the first deal, and after that the deal alternates. The dealer deals ten cards to each player, one at a time, starting with the opponent. The next card is turned face up to start the discard pile, and the rest of the deck becomes the face-down stock.
Card values
| Card | Counts as | Rank order in runs |
|---|---|---|
| Ace | 1 point | Lowest only (A-2-3 works, Q-K-A does not) |
| 2 through 10 | Face value | In numeric order |
| Jack, Queen, King | 10 points each | J, Q, K in that order |
Melds: sets and runs
A set is three or four cards of the same rank, such as 7♠ 7♥ 7♦. A run is three or more cards of the same suit in order, such as 4♣ 5♣ 6♣ 7♣. A card belongs to only one meld at a time, so a 5♥ cannot be in both a set of fives and a run of hearts. Cards that are not in any meld are your deadwood, and their total value is your deadwood count. The computer on this site, and the live total on your table, always use the grouping that gives the lowest possible deadwood.
Taking a turn
First turn only. The non-dealer may take the upcard or pass. If the non-dealer passes, the dealer may take it. If both pass, the non-dealer draws the top card of the stock and play continues normally.
Every other turn. Draw the top card of the stock or the top card of the discard pile, then discard one card face up. You may not discard the card you just took from the discard pile on that same turn. The opponent then plays the same two steps.
No result by the end of the stock. When a discard leaves only two cards in the stock, and nobody has knocked, the hand is a draw. It scores nothing and the same players deal again.
Knocking
You may end the hand on your turn when, after your discard, the deadwood in your ten remaining cards is 10 points or less. Put the discard face down on the pile (or say “knock”), lay your hand face up with your melds separated, and the other player responds.
Gin
If you can discard and have no deadwood at all, you have gin. The opponent may not lay off cards, and you score the opponent's whole deadwood plus a 25-point gin bonus. Big gin (all eleven cards melded without discarding) is a house variant worth 31 points; it is switched off here.
Laying off
When a player knocks without gin, the defender lays out their own melds, then adds any deadwood cards that extend the knocker's melds. A card can extend a run at either end (a 3♥ on 4♥-5♥-6♥, or a 7♥ on the other end) or become the fourth card of a three-card set. A four-card set cannot take a fifth card. Laid-off cards no longer count against the defender.
Undercut
If the defender's remaining deadwood is lower than, or equal to, the knocker's, the knock has been undercut. The defender scores the difference between the two totals plus a 25-point undercut bonus. A tie therefore scores just the 25.
Scoring a hand
| Result | Winner | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Knock, defender has more deadwood | Knocker | Defender's deadwood − knocker's |
| Gin | Knocker | Defender's deadwood + 25 |
| Undercut (defender ties or has less) | Defender | Knocker's deadwood − defender's + 25 |
| Stock runs down to two cards | Nobody | 0 (redeal) |
Winning the game
Scores accumulate over hands. The first player to reach 100 points wins the game and earns a game bonus of 100. Each player also gets a line bonus of 25 points for every hand they won (an undercut counts for the defender). The totals including bonuses are the final score. Some groups also double the winner's total if the loser never scored (a shutout), but that option is off here.
A worked hand
Step through a complete hand below. It starts with the upcard offer and ends with a knock, lay-offs and scoring.
You 0 · Computer 0
Step 1 of 9
The deal
You are the non-dealer, so you act first. Your ten cards hold no melds yet and total 70 deadwood. The upcard is the 6 of hearts, and you hold the 4 and 5 of hearts.
Common mistakes
- Counting the knock card. The card you discard when knocking is not part of your ten. Only the ten you keep are counted.
- Wrapping around. Q-K-A and K-A-2 are not runs. Aces play low only.
- Forgetting that melds cannot overlap. A single card can be used in a set or a run, not both.
- Knocking too early. A low-value knock into an opponent who holds a lot of melds is how you get undercut.
- Discarding the card you picked up. Standard rules forbid it on that turn.
Gin rummy rules questions
Can an Ace be high in gin rummy?
No. The Ace is always low, so A-2-3 is a run but Q-K-A is not. A run also cannot wrap around the end of the suit, so K-A-2 is not a run either.
What happens if neither player knocks?
If the stock is down to two cards after a player's discard and nobody has knocked, the hand is a draw. Nobody scores and the same deck is reshuffled for a new hand.
Can I knock without discarding?
No. You always finish a turn by discarding one card, and the knock is made with that discard. Your remaining ten cards are the ones counted, so the card you throw away does not count against you.
Does the defender have to lay off cards?
A defender who wants to reduce their deadwood lays off every card that fits, since extra points only help the knocker. In this game the computer, or you, are always given the best possible lay-off automatically.
Is a tie an undercut?
Yes. If the defender's deadwood after lay-offs equals the knocker's, the defender wins the hand with just the 25-point undercut bonus, because the difference is zero.
Can I lay off on a gin hand?
No. When a player goes gin, the other player may not lay off any cards. Their full deadwood is counted and the gin bonus is added.
Ready to apply it? Read the strategy guide next, or compare with a different matching game such as cribbage.
Put the rules to work — the first hand is already dealt.
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