Scoring in the Game of Gin
Games of Gin are played in matches that last until a player hits a certain score, often 100. This score can vary, so long as it is agreed upon before the game begins.At the conclusioon of each hand, players can earn points in the following ways:
Knocking
When a player has a point value less than 10 (or when playing Oklahoma Gin, a point value less than the knock card), they can knock. This brings the hand to an end, and the two players compare hands.If, after the layoff, the knocker has less points (or the same number of points) in their hand than their opponent, they recieve a score equal to the difference between their hands.
For example, I knock with 3 points in my hand. After laying off, my opponent still has 11 points in their hand. I would receive 8 points in the scoresheet for that hand. We would then deal the next hand.
Score for Gin
Any player who knocks with zero points in their hand is said to go Gin. Doing this earns a bonus of 25 points. It also entitles him to the value of all the deadwood cards in his opponent's hand. There is no laying off if a player goes Gin.
Undercutting Bonus
If, after laying off, the knocking player has more points than their opponent, their opponent is said to have undercut them. There is a 25 point bonus for undercutting someone.The undercutting player also receives the difference in points between the two hands. So, if I knock with 3 points in my hand, and after the layoff you only have one point in your hand, you will recieve 2 points plus the 25 point bonus for a total of 27 points that hand.
Game Score
When playing a game of 100, the first player to reach 100 receives a 100 point bonus.Line or Box Bonuses
Once someone has reached the predetermined score, players receive a box bonus of 25 points for each game they've won during the match.Shutout bonus
If the game ends with one player having failed to score, the game is a shutout (or a whitewash, or any one of several terms). There is a bonus for this situation. The winning player receives double the points for all of the points accumulated during the hands, and double points for the game bonus. They do not receive double the box bonuses (unless agreed upon before the start of the game).
The Final Tally
Here is a walkthrough of scoring a Gin match that was played to 100.
| MOM | DAD | ||
| 1st hand | 10 | - Mom knocks with 5, Dad has 15: Mom scores 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd hand | 31 | - Mom goes Gin, Dad has 6: Mom scores 31 | |
| 41 | |||
| 3rd hand | 27 | - Mom knocks with 4, Dad Undercuts with 2: Dad scores 27 | |
| 4th hand | 33 | - Mom knocks with 10, Dad has 43: Mom scores 33 | |
| 74 | |||
| 5th hand | 35 | - Mom has 10, Dad goes Gin: Dad scores 35 | |
| 62 | |||
| 6th hand | 36 | - Mom goes Gin, Dad has 11: Mom scores 36 | |
| 110 | |||
| Box Bonuses | 100 | 50 | Mom won 4 hands :: Dad won 2 hands |
| Game Bonus | 100 | Mom won the Game Bonus | |
| 310 | 112 | ||
| -112 | |||
| 198 | - Mom wins this contest by 198. |
Gin Rummy is a game that is played widely, and different regions have different preferred scoring values. For instance, some people play that the bonus for undercutting is 20 instead of 25 points.
In order to put together a coherent walkthrough that would explain the scoring of a Gin game, step by step, I referred to the scoring methods stated in Hoyle's Rules of Games.
