Gin Rummy Instructions
Player Count: 2 players
Age Range: 8+
Object:
- Get more than 100 points before your opponent does to win!
Cards:
- One deck of cards is used, and Jokers are removed.
- Aces are low.
- Card Point Values: Face cards are worth 10 points, all other cards are worth their number amount.
Set-Up:
- The dealer deals 10 to each player
- Once dealing is complete, the rest of the cards form a draw pile. Flip the top card of the draw pile over and set it next to the stack to form a discard pile.
How to Play:
- The player that did not deal has the chance to take the discard pile card, if they pass they may move on without discarding, if they take it they must discard one card from their hand.
- The second player then has this same option.
- Once both players have judged the discard pile, then players may begin drawing from the deck.
- Players take turn drawing and discarding cards as the game progresses.
- Note: Players may not discard the card they drew if it was picked up from the discard pile.
- The goal is to complete groupings of 3 cards that are the same number, or sequences of the same suit.
- For cards of the same number, the Ace may be groups in with the 2’s but may not be grouped in with Kings.
- If a player has only unmatched cards worth less than 10 points, they may fold for a “Knock”.
- As soon as a player discards their last card, they show all of their cards, announcing the number of points that are left without combining.
- It is not compulsory to Knock, a player can prolong the game in order to improve their hand. The best hand is to make Gin, consisting of placing down the ten cards combined.
- When a player folds, exposing all of their cards, the opponent does the same, having the opportunity to get rid of those cards that were left unmatched and being able to combine cards with those exposed by the player who Knocked or announced Gin.
- When a player announces Gin they win the partial game, whereas if a player Knocks, either that player or the opposing player can win it. The player wins if the value of their unmatched cards is less than the value of the opponent’s unmatched cards and the opponent wins if the value of their unmatched cards is equal to or less than that of the one that Knocked.
- The cards of the opponent to the one who announced Gin or Knocked are valued after having discarded the cards that they have not combined and that link with combinations of the hand laid down by the one declared Gin or Knock.
Scoring:
- A game ends when sufficient partial games have been played to allow one player to get 100 or more points.
- The player who makes Gin, scores 20 points plus the value of the opponent’s unmatched cards.
- If the player who Knocks wins the game, they score the difference in the value of their unmatched cards with those of their opponent, while if the opponent wins, they score 10 points plus the difference in the value of the unmatched cards between both players.
- If there is no difference, the 10-point bonus remains.
- Once the game has finished, the players note down the following bonuses: 100 points for winning a game, 20 points for each partial game won and 100 points for winning all the rounds of a game without the opponent having won any.