How to play Gin Rummy

Each player gets 10 cards. The next card is turned face up to start the discard pile, and the rest form the deck.
On the first turn, the first player may take the face-up card or pass. If they pass, the other player may take it or pass. If both pass, the first player draws from the deck, and play goes on as normal.
On every turn, draw one card, either the top card of the deck or the top card of the discard pile, then discard one card face up on the pile. You can't throw back a card you've just taken from the pile.
Build melds. A set is 3 or 4 cards of the same rank, such as three 7s. A run is 3 or more cards in a row in the same suit, such as 4, 5 and 6 of hearts. The ace is low: A, 2, 3 is a run, but Q, K, A is not.
Cards that aren't in a meld are deadwood. Each counts its number, aces count 1, and jacks, queens and kings count 10.
When your deadwood is 10 or less after your discard, you may knock to end the hand. Both players lay down their cards.
The other player may then lay off their deadwood on your melds, adding a fourth 7 to your three 7s, or the 7 of hearts to your 4, 5 and 6 of hearts.
If you knock with no deadwood at all, that's gin, and your rival can't lay off.
If the deck gets down to its last two cards and nobody has knocked, the hand ends with no score.

Scoring

What happened	Who scores	Points
A knock	The player who knocked	The difference between the two deadwood counts
An undercut: the other player has as little deadwood as the knocker, or less	The other player	The difference, plus a bonus of 25
Gin	The player who went gin	25, plus all of the other player's deadwood

Hands are dealt until someone reaches the target: 100 points, or 50 for a shorter game. Each new hand, the other player goes first.

Controls

Draw: tap the deck, or tap the face-up card on the discard pile to take it. On the first turn, use Take or Pass.
Discard: tap a card to pick it up, then tap it again, tap the pile or press Discard.
Knock or go gin: pick the card you want to throw away. If that leaves 10 or less, a Knock button appears with your deadwood, or Gin! when it leaves none.
The game keeps your hand sorted into melds for you. Cards in a meld have a green edge, and your deadwood is counted below your hand.
Keyboard: ← and → or Tab to move between cards, Enter to pick a card and again to discard it, D to draw from the deck, P to take from the pile and K to knock.

With 2 Players, a cover screen hides the cards whenever the device passes to the other player. At the end of each hand, both hands are shown face up so you can check the score together.

Computer levels

The computer never looks at your cards or the deck. It only knows its own cards, the discard pile, and what you did in the open: the cards you took from the pile, the ones you passed over and the ones you threw away.

Level	How it plays
Easy	Takes a face-up card only when it completes a meld, knocks as soon as it can, and often throws away a card without thinking.
Medium	Usually throws the card that leaves it the least deadwood, but slips now and then. Takes a face-up card when it makes a meld or saves a lot of points, and knocks as soon as it can.
Hard	Also weighs its chances of a good card on the next draw, avoids throwing cards that fit with cards you've picked up, rarely slips, and late in a hand only knocks with 6 or less.
Expert	Never slips. Takes a face-up card only when it's better than a blind draw from the deck, weighs its next draw more, guards its discards more closely, and the longer a hand goes on, the less deadwood it will knock with.

Tips to win

Throw high cards early. A king left in your hand counts 10 if your rival knocks. Unless it's part of a meld or close to one, let it go.
Keep cards that work two ways. A 7 of hearts next to a 6 of hearts and another 7 can become a run or a set.
Watch what your rival picks up. If they take the 9 of clubs, don't throw them the 8 or 10 of clubs, or another 9.
Knock early. Early in a hand your rival has a lot of deadwood, so a quick knock with 8 or 9 usually wins. Later on, wait for less or you risk an undercut.
Count what's gone. If two 5s are already on the discard pile, a pair of 5s can't become a set, so treat them as deadwood.
Don't take a card just to throw it. Taking from the pile tells your rival what you're collecting. Only take it if it makes a meld or saves real points.

About Gin Rummy

Gin Rummy is one of many rummy games, which are all about collecting sets and runs. It became a favourite in the United States in the first half of the 20th century and is still one of the best-loved card games for two. The rules here are the standard ones, with a few common choices made clear: the ace is low, the first player may take the face-up card or pass, and an undercut or gin earns a bonus of 25. Some players also add bonuses at the end of a game; here, the first player to reach the target wins.

Questions

What does knocking mean in Gin Rummy?

Knocking ends the hand. You can do it when the cards that aren't in melds add up to 10 or less after your discard. The other player then lays off what they can, and the lower deadwood count wins the hand.

What is gin?

Gin means every card in your hand is part of a meld, with no deadwood at all. You score a bonus of 25 plus all of your rival's deadwood, and they can't lay off any cards.

What is an undercut?

If you knock and your rival ends up with as little deadwood as you, or less, after laying off, they undercut you. They score the difference plus a bonus of 25.

Is the ace high or low in Gin Rummy?

Low. The ace counts 1 point and can only start a run, as in A, 2, 3. K, A, 2 and Q, K, A are not runs.

How long is a game of Gin Rummy?

A game to 100 points usually takes several hands. Choose 50 points for a shorter game.

Can two people play Gin Rummy on one phone?

Yes. Choose 2 Players. After each turn a cover screen hides the cards until the next player taps to see theirs.

Is Gin Rummy free?

Yes. It's free in your browser, with no download, no sign-up and no ads during a game.

Updated 7 November 2026