Sam Fry - "Gin Rummy, How to Play and Win"

Sam Fry wrote what became this book in 1960. Actually, he wrote a series of article on the game of Gin Rummy, that were later bound together in what is now the book titled "Gin Rummy, How to Play and Win".

While the book I have in my hand is 59 pages long, it comes in the form of 20 separate articles. Each of them adresses a particular topic, so you can skip around if you like to find the information that you want right away. It's not the kind of book that you need to read from beginning to end for fear of becoming lost.

And, since all of the information was originally in article form, the ideas are presented quickly. There might be times when you wished that he would go on and offer more examples, but I was never left thinking that I had somehow missed his point.

The articles cover the following points:

  1. Rules
  2. The "Standard" Game
  3. The use of a low-card meld for knocking
  4. Offensive Play
  5. Defensive Play
  6. Marrying the Offensive vs Defensive plays
  7. The Campaign
  8. Low Cards
  9. Points of Contention
  10. "Round the Corner"
  11. Hollywood Gin
  12. Oklahoma Gin
  13. Taking cards on spec
  14. "Spades Double"
  15. Advertising
  16. Psychological Plays
  17. Customs
  18. Tricks of the Trade
  19. Forcing a Draw
  20. Partnership Gin

It's quite a list of topics, but the reading is easy. And, I think a brand-new version of the book costs under $4. An absolute bargain for someone like me. Seasoned players may not need introductions to the concepts covered, but for someone just picking up the game, his ideas and examples are well worth the money.

And the truth is, instead of filling an extra 40 pages about his life and times as a Gin player, the focus of the book is the game and how it can be played. That extra attention to the gameplay makes me perfectly happy that it is a quick read. It's much less intimidating than many poker books that play heavily on math and highly specific situations.

In the end, I'd say the book is a cheap and painless eye-opener. It exposes you to the things you should know about the game, without confusing you or bogging you down along the way. I'm glad I bought it.