How many cards do you get in Gin Rummy?

Each player is dealt 10 cards in standard two-player Gin Rummy. The remaining cards form the face-down stock, and one card is turned face up to start the discard pile. On each turn you draw to 11 and discard back to 10.

What is the difference between knocking and going Gin?

You can knock when your deadwood (unmatched cards) totals 10 points or fewer, ending the hand even if not all cards are melded. Going Gin means every card is in a meld with zero deadwood, which earns a 25-point bonus and prevents your opponent from laying off cards.

What does deadwood mean in Gin Rummy?

Deadwood is the cards in your hand that are not part of any meld. Each unmatched card counts toward your deadwood total: Aces are 1, number cards are face value, and face cards are 10 each. The aim is to keep your deadwood as low as possible.

What is an undercut in Gin Rummy?

An undercut happens when a player knocks but the opponent has equal or less deadwood. The defender then scores the difference plus a 25-point undercut bonus. This is why you should avoid knocking with a borderline count when your opponent looks set.

Can you play Gin Rummy with more than two players?

Gin Rummy is designed for two players. For three or four players, people often play variants like Oklahoma Gin or simply rotate so two play while others sit out. The core melding, knocking and scoring rules stay the same.

Is Gin Rummy free to play online?

Yes. At lovecardgames.com you can play Gin Rummy free in your browser with no download and no signup. You can play multiplayer against friends or practice against smart bots anytime.

How to Play Gin Rummy: Rules, Melds, Knocking & Gin

Gin Rummy is the classic two-player card game where you race to arrange a 10-card hand into melds and shed your leftover "deadwood" before your opponent does. It is quick to learn, deeply strategic, and one of the most popular card games ever invented. This guide covers everything from the deal to scoring, so you can sit down and play with confidence. Want to try it right now? You can play Gin Rummy free online at lovecardgames.com against friends or smart bots, with no download and no signup.

Gin Rummy is a draw-and-discard game for two players using a standard 52-card deck. The goal is to form your hand into melds and reduce your unmatched cards (your deadwood) to a low total, then end the hand by "knocking" or going "Gin" before your opponent. It is fast, tactical, and easy to pick up in a single hand.

The objective

Each player tries to organize their 10 cards into valid melds. The cards that do not fit into any meld are called deadwood, and each one carries a point value. You win a hand by ending it with less deadwood than your opponent. Across multiple hands you accumulate points, and the first player to reach a target score (commonly 100) wins the game.

Setting up and the deal

Use one standard 52-card deck with no jokers. The non-dealer is chosen first (often by drawing high card), and the deal alternates each hand. The dealer gives each player 10 cards, one at a time, face down. The next card is turned face up to start the discard pile, and the remaining cards form the face-down stock (draw pile).

The non-dealer gets the first chance to take that initial upcard. If they decline, the dealer may take it. If both pass, the non-dealer draws from the stock and play proceeds normally.

Card values

Knowing the values is essential because deadwood is what you are trying to minimize:

Aces count as 1 point.
Number cards (2–10) count at face value.
Face cards (Jack, Queen, King) count as 10 points each.

In Gin Rummy, the Ace is always low. So A-2-3 is a valid run, but Q-K-A is not.

Melds: sets and runs

A meld is a group of matched cards. There are two kinds:

Sets (groups): three or four cards of the same rank, such as 7♠ 7♥ 7♦.
Runs (sequences): three or more consecutive cards of the same suit, such as 4♣ 5♣ 6♣.

A single card can only belong to one meld at a time. If a card could complete either a set or a run, you must choose which meld to count it in; the cards left over become deadwood. Part of the skill in Gin Rummy is arranging your hand to leave the lowest possible deadwood total.

Playing a turn

On your turn you do two things. First, draw one card, either the top of the face-down stock or the top of the discard pile. Second, discard one card face up onto the discard pile, so you always return to exactly 10 cards. Watch what your opponent picks up from the discard pile, as it tells you which melds they may be building, and avoid feeding them cards they want.

Knocking

You may end the hand by knocking when your deadwood totals 10 points or fewer. To knock, you discard your final card face down, then lay out your hand arranged into melds with your deadwood separated. You do not need to use all your cards in melds; you just need your unmatched cards to add up to 10 or less.

After a knock, the opponent reveals their own melds and may lay off any of their deadwood onto the knocker's melds. For example, if the knocker has a set of three 8s, the opponent can add a fourth 8 to it, reducing their own deadwood. Laying off can shrink the gap or even swing the result.

Going Gin

If you arrange all 10 cards into melds with zero deadwood, you can declare Gin. Going Gin earns a 25-point bonus on top of the difference in deadwood, and crucially your opponent cannot lay off any cards when you go Gin. A rarer feat is Big Gin: forming all 11 cards into melds before discarding, which typically earns a 31-point bonus.

Scoring

Once the hand ends, compare deadwood totals:

Knock win: if the knocker has less deadwood, they score the difference between the two deadwood totals.
Gin: the difference plus a 25-point bonus.
Undercut: if the defender ties or has equal-or-lower deadwood than the knocker, the defender scores the difference plus a 25-point undercut bonus. This is the reward for the opponent defending well, so never knock carelessly.

Play continues hand by hand until someone reaches the target score (often 100), with additional line and box bonuses awarded in many scoring systems.

Quick strategy tips

Discard high face cards early; they are worth 10 points of deadwood each if you get caught holding them.
Keep flexible cards that can form either a set or a run for as long as possible.
Track the discard pile. Avoid throwing cards that obviously help your opponent.
Knock early with a low count rather than chasing Gin, unless you are confident; chasing Gin risks an undercut.

More card games to try

If you enjoy Gin Rummy, you will likely enjoy other matching and trick-taking classics. Try Crazy Eights for a lighter draw-and-discard game, or Solitaire if you want a solo challenge. For trick-taking fans, Hearts, Spades and Euchre are timeless. You can also explore Callbreak, Court Piece and Twenty-Nine, or the European favorites Briscola and Belote.

Play now

Ready to put these rules into practice? Play Gin Rummy free online at lovecardgames.com. It runs right in your browser with no download and no signup, so you can challenge friends in multiplayer or sharpen your skills against smart bots in seconds.