How to Play Gin Rummy
Gin rummy is a two-player card game played with a standard 52-card deck. You collect cards into melds (sets and runs) and try to get the value of your leftover cards, your deadwood, low enough to knock before your opponent does. Hands are quick; a match is played to 100 points.
Card values
| Cards | Deadwood value |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| 2–10 | Face value |
| Jack, Queen, King | 10 |
The ace is low only: A-2-3 is a run, but Q-K-A is not.
The deal
- Each player gets 10 cards.
- The next card is turned face up to start the discard pile. The rest of the deck is the stock, face down.
- On kawu the first dealer is chosen at random. After that, the winner of each hand deals the next one (a common house rule; you can switch to "loser deals" in the settings). After a dead hand, the same dealer deals again.
The first turn
The first turn works differently:
- The non-dealer may take the face-up card or pass.
- If they pass, the dealer may take it or pass.
- If both pass, the non-dealer draws the top card of the stock and play continues normally.
Whoever takes a card then discards one, and it's the other player's turn.
A normal turn
- Draw one card: the top of the stock or the top of the discard pile.
- Discard one card face up on the discard pile. You may not discard the card you just took from the discard pile.
You now hold 10 cards again.
Melds
- Set: 3 or 4 cards of the same rank, such as 7♠ 7♥ 7♦.
- Run: 3 or more cards of the same suit in sequence, such as 4♣ 5♣ 6♣ 7♣.
Each card can belong to only one meld. Cards that aren't in a meld are deadwood.
On kawu, "Arrange by melds" sorts your hand into its best melds automatically and shows your deadwood total.
Knocking and gin
When your deadwood after discarding is 10 or less, you may knock: discard face down and lay out your hand. With 0 deadwood you have gin.
After you knock, your opponent lays out their hand too and may lay off deadwood cards onto your melds. For example, they can add the 10♦ to your 7-8-9♦, or the fourth 4 to your set of three 4s. Layoffs reduce their deadwood. There are no layoffs against gin.
Scoring a hand
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Knocker has less deadwood | Knocker scores the difference |
| Undercut: defender has equal or less deadwood | Defender scores the difference + 25 |
| Gin | Knocker scores the defender's deadwood + 25 |
| Big gin (optional): all 11 cards melded, no discard | Defender's deadwood + 31 |
Example: you knock with 6; your opponent lays off and is left with 21. You score 21 − 6 = 15.
Dead hand
If the stock is down to two cards and the player who just drew discards without knocking, the hand is dead: nobody scores and the same dealer deals again.
Winning the match
The first player to reach 100 points wins the match. Then the bonuses are added:
- Game bonus: 100 points to the winner.
- Hand (box) bonus: 25 points for each hand a player won.
- Shutout: if the loser won no hands at all, the game bonus is doubled to 200.
See gin rummy scoring for worked examples.
Common variants
- Oklahoma gin: the first upcard sets the knocking limit for that hand.
- Straight gin: knocking isn't allowed; you must go gin.
- Hollywood gin: three games scored at once.
- Big gin is an option on kawu; it is off by default.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards do you deal in gin rummy?
Ten each. The next card is turned face up to start the discard pile, and the rest form the stock.
Can you discard the card you just picked up?
No. A card taken from the discard pile can't be thrown back on the same turn. A card drawn from the stock can be discarded immediately.
Is Q-K-A a run in gin rummy?
No. The ace is always low: A-2-3 is a run, but Q-K-A is not.
What is an undercut?
If the player who knocks doesn't have less deadwood than the opponent (after layoffs), the opponent scores the difference plus a 25-point bonus.
Can you lay off cards against gin?
No. Layoffs are only allowed when the opponent knocks with some deadwood. Against gin, all your unmatched cards count.
What happens if the stock runs out?
When only two cards are left in the stock and the player who just drew discards without knocking, the hand is dead: nobody scores and the same dealer deals again.
Last updated 2026-10-17