Gin Rummy

Objective

The objective of Gin Rummy is for players to form sets or runs of cards in their hand to minimize the point value of unmatched cards and to declare "Gin" before their opponent.

Setup

1. Use a standard 52-card deck.
2. Shuffle the deck thoroughly.
3. Deal 10 cards to each player, one at a time, in a clockwise direction.
4. Place the remaining deck face-down to form the draw pile.
5. Turn the top card of the draw pile face-up next to it to start the discard pile.

Gameplay

Players take turns in the following sequence:

1. Draw Phase: A player must draw one card from either the top of the draw pile or the top of the discard pile.
2. Discard Phase: After drawing, the player must discard one card from their hand face-up onto the discard pile.

Players aim to form combinations of cards:

• Sets: 3 or 4 cards of the same rank.
• Runs: 3 or more consecutive cards of the same suit.

Players can end the round in two ways:

• If a player has formed all their cards into sets or runs with no remaining unmatched cards, they can declare Gin to end the round immediately.
• If a player cannot declare Gin but believes their unmatched cards total fewer points than their opponent's, they may knock to end the round.

After knocking, the following sequence occurs:

1. The knocker reveals their hand.
2. The opponent then has one turn to lay off any of their cards onto the knocker's sets or runs.
3. Points are calculated based on the value of unmatched cards in each player's hand:
   • Numbered cards are worth their face value.
   • Face cards (Kings, Queens, Jacks) are worth 10 points.
   • Aces are worth 1 point.

Winning the Game

The game is typically played over multiple rounds. The first player to reach a predetermined score (commonly 100 points) wins the game. Points are scored as follows:

• If a player declares Gin, they receive points equal to the sum of their opponent's unmatched cards, plus a 25-point bonus.
• If a player knocks, they receive points equal to the difference between their unmatched cards and their opponent's unmatched cards. If the knocker's count is lower, they receive the difference; if higher, their opponent scores the difference plus a 10-point undercut bonus.
• The game continues until one player reaches or exceeds the predetermined winning score.