How do you play Gin Rummy?

Each player gets ten cards. On your turn you draw from the stock or discard pile and then discard, trying to arrange your hand into sets and runs. When your unmatched cards (deadwood) total 10 points or fewer you can knock to end the hand.

What does it mean to knock in Gin Rummy?

Knocking ends the hand. You may knock when your deadwood — the value of cards not in any meld — is 10 points or fewer. You reveal your melds and the deadwood counts against you.

What is gin in Gin Rummy?

Gin is when all ten of your cards form melds with zero deadwood. Going gin earns a 25-point bonus plus your opponent's deadwood, and they cannot lay off any cards.

What is an undercut in Gin Rummy?

If the player who knocks has the same or more deadwood than their opponent, the opponent undercuts them and scores the difference plus a 25-point bonus.

How is Gin Rummy scored?

The knocker scores the difference between the two players' deadwood. Gin adds a 25-point bonus; an undercut gives the defender the difference plus 25. The first player to reach 100 points wins.

Can you play Gin Rummy online for free?

Yes. This Gin Rummy game is free and runs in your browser with no signup or download. Press New game to start playing against the computer.

Play Gin Rummy Online — Free Card Game

Gin Rummy is the classic two-player card game of building melds and knocking before your opponent. Play it online free here — no signup, no download — against a smart computer opponent. New to it? The full rules and how to play Gin Rummy are below. Prefer the classic shared-table game? Try Rummy instead.

How to Play Gin Rummy

Gin Rummy is played by two players with a standard 52-card deck. Each player is dealt ten cards. The next card is turned face up to start the discard pile, and the rest forms the face-down stock. The goal is to arrange your hand into melds and reduce your unmatched cards — your deadwood — as low as possible before your opponent does.

Melds: Sets and Runs

A set is three or four cards of the same rank, such as three Eights. A run is three or more cards of the same suit in sequence, such as ♥4 ♥5 ♥6. Aces are low, so a run can begin Ace-Two-Three but cannot wrap around past the King. Any card not part of a meld is deadwood, worth its value: face cards count 10, Aces count 1, and other cards their face value.

Gin Rummy hand showing two melds and two deadwood cards worth 12 points — Melds (a run and a set) versus deadwood — the unmatched King and 2 add up to 12 penalty points.

Taking a Turn

Unlike basic Rummy, you do not lay melds on the table during play — they stay hidden in your hand. Each turn you simply:

Draw one card from the top of the stock or the top of the discard pile.
Discard one card to keep your hand at ten, ending your turn.

All the while you are quietly rearranging your hand to push your deadwood down toward the magic number: ten.

Knocking and Going Gin

When your deadwood totals 10 points or fewer, you may end the hand by knocking: you discard your final card and reveal your melds. If all ten of your cards form melds with zero deadwood, you have gone gin — the strongest finish, worth a bonus.

After a normal knock (not gin), your opponent may lay off their own deadwood cards onto your melds to lower their count. No lay-offs are allowed against gin.

Scoring

Once a hand ends, both players count their deadwood:

Knock: if the knocker's deadwood is lower, they score the difference between the two deadwood totals.
Gin: the knocker scores their opponent's full deadwood plus a 25-point bonus.
Undercut: if the defender's deadwood is equal to or lower than the knocker's, the defender scores the difference plus a 25-point bonus.

The first player to reach 100 points wins the match.

What Is an Undercut?

An undercut is Gin Rummy's built-in punishment for knocking too greedily. If you knock with, say, 9 deadwood but your opponent can get down to 6, they undercut you: instead of you scoring, they score the 3-point difference plus the 25-point bonus. It is why experienced players often wait for gin rather than knocking the moment they are eligible.

Strategy Tips

Track the discards. Cards your opponent picks up tell you what they are collecting — avoid feeding those ranks and suits.
Drop high deadwood early. A stranded King or Queen is 10 points of risk; discard big unmatched cards before they pile up.
Don't knock too soon. Knocking at 8 or 9 invites an undercut. If you're close, it can pay to wait one or two turns for gin.
Keep flexible cards. A card that can extend either a set or a run gives you more ways to finish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this Gin Rummy game free?

Yes. It runs entirely in your browser with no signup, download, or payment. Press New game to play against the computer.

How many cards do you get in Gin Rummy?

Each of the two players is dealt ten cards. One card is turned up to start the discard pile and the rest become the stock.

What does it mean to knock?

Knocking ends the hand. You may knock when your deadwood is 10 points or fewer; you reveal your melds and the leftover deadwood counts against you.

What is the difference between Rummy and Gin Rummy?

In basic Rummy you lay melds face-up on a shared table and try to empty your hand. In Gin Rummy melds stay hidden and you end the hand by knocking once your deadwood is low enough.

How do you win Gin Rummy?

Score points each hand by knocking with less deadwood than your opponent, going gin for a bonus, or undercutting their knock. The first to 100 points wins the match.