How to Play Gin Rummy
Gin Rummy is a classic card game everyone should learn how to play. It’s simple, quick, and can be played with a regular deck of cards. While it’s best with 2 or 3 players, it can be played with more.
Each player seeks to form sets and runs in their hand. A set is three or four cards of the same rank. A run is three or more cards in order in the same suit. The goal is to shape your hand so it’s full of sets or runs before the other player.
The Play
Each player draws one card at the start. The high card deals. The dealer gives ten cards to each player then places the rest of the deck face down. Then the dealer turns the top card of the deck face up to start the discard pile.
The non-dealer may take the face-up card or pass. If the non-dealer passes, the dealer may take it or pass. If everyone passes, the non-dealer draws from the deck. Play then moves in turns. At the beginning of a players turn they either draw one card from the deck or the top of the discard pile. Then they discard a card they don’t need to the discard pile to complete their turn.
The players seek to shape sets and runs as they draw and shed deadwood. Once a player fills their hand with sets or runs they lay it down and declare “Gin”. Some people also like to say, “What’s the name of the game?”
Keeping Score
The player that goes out doesn’t get any points. The other players cards that aren’t part of a set or run, called deadwood, count against them. Some variations allow players to add their deadwood to the sets or runs of the player that went out to avoid points.
Any leftover cards count against the player. Number cards count as five points. Face cards count as ten. Aces count as one.
The players keep score over many hands. The game ends when a player reaches a set score. The lowest score wins. Typically, 100 is the set score. It can be more or less depending on how long the players want to play.
Summary
Gin rewards clear thought. It also rewards sound reads of the other’s play. Watch what other players discard to know what’s safe to discard. Also, watching what they pick up to know what to avoid discarding.
Gin Rummy has been around a long time due to how simple, fast, and fun it is to play with family and friends!
How to Play Gin brought to you by: David M.
I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.
