Rules to Playing Gin Rummy

Gin is a two-player card game that a standard deck of 52 cards with no jokers or wilds. There are "variations" of the game that can be played by three, four or more players at a time, but these larger games are comprised of sets of one on one play.

The cards in the deck each have a point value. Numbered cards are worth their rank, face cards are worth ten, and the Aces are worth one.

Game Set-up
The game begins with one player shuffling the deck, and dealing ten cards to each man. The next card (the "upcard") is then placed face up in what will be called the "discard pile". The rest of the deck is placed face down in the "stock pile" of cards.

Object of the Game
The object of a hand of Gin is to acquire several "melds" of cards in their hand. A meld is . . .

Gameplay
The game begins with the player opposite the dealer deciding if they would like to take the upcard into their hand. If they decline to take the upcard, the delaer then has the opportunity to take the upcard. If the dealer refuses the upcard, the player opposite the dealer begins by taking a card from the stock pile.

After taking a card from either the discard pile or the stock pile, players must discard a card, maintaining a ten card hand.

The round of cards come to an end when someone "knocks".

Knocking
Knocking is an action a player can take when the cards in their hand that are not part of a meld total ten or less. These unmelded cards are referred to as "deadwood". Typically the act of knocking actually takes place as a player raps the table, and then discards his final card face down.

Players then display their hands for the showdown.

The Showdown and Scoring

Gin
If a player knocks with zero points of deadwood in their hand it is called a "Gin". They receive a bonus of 25 points for this, plus the value of all the deadwood cards in their opponents hand.

Laying Off
If the knocking player does not go Gin, and has some deadwood cards in his hand, the opponent has the chance to "lay off" cards from his own hand. He can match any deadwood in his hand to his opponents melds, and remove those cards from his deadwood count.

For example, you knock with the following hand
> [Ac-Ah-Ad, 8c-9c-Tc-Jc, 2d, 2c, 4h] There are two melds, and three deadwood cards that total 8 points. I have this hand
> [Kc-Kd-Kh, 6h-6d-6s, 7c, 4c, 3h, As]

I look at my deadwood cards, hoping to find a new home for them in your meld so they will not count against me. I see that the As fits with your set of Aces, and "lay that off". I notice that the 7c fits with your run of 8-9-T-J of clubs, so I lay that off as well. My deadwood cards are now the 4c, and the 3h, for a total of 7 points.

After the Lay Offs
If, after the lay off, the knocker has less points than their opponent, they score the difference between the two totals. So, if after laying off, I have 10 points and you have 18, I score 8 points for that round.

If the knocker has the same or less points than the opponent, the opponent is said to "undercut". When you undercut an opponent you receive 25 bonus points, plus the difference between the two hands.

Drawn Games
When the stock pile runs down to two cards, the game ends in a draw.