Setting the table…

Play Gin Rummy Online

Draw, discard, knock, and go gin against a smart AI opponent.

Build sets and runs while keeping deadwood low. Take the discard only when it helps, knock at 10 or less, and chase gin when your hand is clean. Every round feeds a match scored to 100 points, with 25-point bonuses for gin and for undercutting a careless knocker — so each hand rewards the same timing judgment that decides paper-scored matches.

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How to play Gin Rummy

1Deal ten cards to each player.
2Turn one card face up to start the discard pile.
3On your turn, draw either the top stock card or the top discard.
4After drawing, discard one card.
5Sets are three or four cards of the same rank.
6Runs are three or more consecutive cards in the same suit.
7Unmatched cards count as deadwood: aces are 1, face cards are 10, and number cards use their number.
8Knock after discarding when your deadwood is 10 or lower.
9Go gin by ending with zero deadwood.

Gin Rummy rules

Setup

Gin Rummy is a two-player game using a standard 52-card deck with no jokers. Deal ten cards to each player, place the remaining cards face down as the stock, and turn the top card face up to start the discard pile. Card order runs from king down to ace: the ace is always low in Gin Rummy. That means A-2-3 of a suit is a valid run, but Q-K-A is not. Keeping that in mind early saves a lot of broken melds later.

Goal and melds

Your goal is to arrange your ten cards into melds while shrinking the value of whatever does not fit. A meld is either a set — three or four cards of the same rank, like 7-7-7 — or a run — three or more consecutive cards in the same suit, like 4-5-6 of hearts. A single card can only belong to one meld at a time. Cards that are not part of any meld are your deadwood. The hand ends when one player knocks or goes gin, and deadwood decides who scores.

Turn order

On each turn you draw one card, either the face-down top card of the stock or the face-up top card of the discard pile, then end your turn by discarding one card face up. Taking the discard tells your opponent exactly which card you wanted, so it is usually reserved for cards that complete or clearly strengthen a meld. Play alternates until someone knocks, goes gin, or the stock runs too low, in which case the hand is a draw and is redealt.

Deadwood values

Deadwood is counted by card value: aces count 1, number cards count their face value, and jacks, queens, and kings count 10 each. A hand holding an unmatched king and queen carries 20 points of deadwood, while an unmatched ace and 2 carry only 3 — which is why experienced players shed high unmatched cards early. To practice the arithmetic, the deadwood calculator linked below totals any set of unmatched cards and tells you immediately whether the hand can knock.

Knocking

When your deadwood after discarding would be 10 points or lower, you may knock to end the hand. Both hands are then revealed. The defender may lay off deadwood cards onto your melds — adding a fourth 9 to your set of 9s, or extending your 4-5-6 run with the 3 or 7 — to reduce their own count. If your deadwood is lower than the defender's after lay-offs, you score the difference between the two counts. Knock with 3 against 18 and you score 15. Knocking early protects a lead but invites the undercut described below.

Going gin

If all ten of your cards form melds after your discard, you have zero deadwood and go gin. Gin scores the opponent's entire deadwood count plus a 25-point bonus, and the opponent may not lay off any cards against a gin hand — a key reason patient players decline a safe knock. There is also big gin: if the card you draw gives you eleven cards that all form melds, you can declare big gin immediately without discarding. Many tables award a larger bonus for it, commonly 31 points instead of 25.

The undercut

Knocking carries a risk. If the defender's deadwood — after laying off — is equal to or lower than the knocker's, the defender undercuts the knock. The defender scores the difference in deadwood plus a 25-point undercut bonus, turning the knocker's aggression directly into points. The undercut is what makes knock timing the central decision of Gin Rummy: a 9- or 10-point knock late in the hand, when your opponent has had time to thin their deadwood, is often a losing play.

Game scoring to 100

A match is played over several hands, and the first player to reach 100 total points wins the game. On paper, traditional scoring then adds end-of-game bonuses: the winner receives a 100-point game bonus, and each player adds a 25-point line bonus (also called a box bonus) for every hand they won along the way. If the loser failed to win a single hand, the winner's bonuses are commonly doubled — a shutout, sometimes called a blitz or schneid. This online version plays straight to 100 with the standard 25-point gin and undercut bonuses, so you can practice the same scoring decisions that matter in a paper-scored match.

Keep reading

Gin Rummy Strategy Draw choices, discard safety, and knock timing.
Gin Rummy Variations Oklahoma Gin, Hollywood Gin, and straight gin.
Deadwood Calculator Total your unmatched cards and check knock eligibility instantly.

Gin Rummy rules, deadwood scoring, and online strategy

Gin Rummy is a two-player rummy game about improving a ten-card hand one draw at a time. You draw from the face-down stock or the face-up discard pile, then discard one card. The goal is to arrange cards into sets and runs while reducing unmatched card value, called deadwood.

This online Gin Rummy game keeps the table readable. It counts your deadwood, shows the best meld it can find, highlights discard choices, and lets you knock when your deadwood is low enough. If your hand reaches zero deadwood, you go gin and earn a bonus.

The numbers behind those choices are worth learning precisely, because they are what separate gin from every other draw-and-discard game. Aces count one point of deadwood, number cards count their pip value, and jacks, queens, and kings each count ten. You may knock only when your unmatched cards total 10 or fewer after your discard, and the knock scores the difference between the two deadwood counts. Going gin adds a 25-point bonus on top of the defender's full deadwood, while a defender who matches or beats the knocker's count collects the difference plus a 25-point undercut bonus instead.

Rounds accumulate into a match played to 100 points, which changes how aggressive a knock should be. A quick eight-point knock in the opening hands builds the score you will defend later; the same knock at 90 points can hand the AI an undercut that swings the match. Because the defender may also lay off cards onto your melds before deadwood is compared, a knock that looks safe on your side of the table can shrink to almost nothing once the lay-offs land.

Gin Rummy is the definitive two-player rummy. Hands stay hidden until the end, every draw forces a real choice, and the knock decision — cash in a small lead now or hold out for gin — gives the game its tension. Half of gin skill is card play; the other half is counting. If you want to drill the arithmetic on its own, the deadwood calculator lets you tally any set of unmatched cards and see instantly whether the hand is knock-eligible.

New players can start with the rules above for melds, deadwood values, and scoring, then use the strategy guide to sharpen draw choices and knock timing. The variations page covers Oklahoma Gin, Hollywood scoring, and straight gin once the standard game feels comfortable.

Knock limit

10 points

You may knock after discarding only when your unmatched cards total 10 deadwood or less — the threshold this game enforces automatically.

Gin bonus

+25

Ending a hand with zero deadwood scores the opponent’s entire count plus a 25-point bonus, and a gin hand can never be undercut.

Match target

100 points

Round scores accumulate across deals; the first side to reach 100 total points wins the match. Undercuts also pay a 25-point bonus.

What counts as a meld

A set is three or four cards of the same rank. A run is three or more consecutive cards in the same suit. Cards in melds do not count against your deadwood.

The draw decision

Taking the discard gives information away but can finish a meld immediately. Drawing from the stock hides your plan and is usually better when the discard does not lower deadwood.

Knock, gin, or undercut

Every hand ends one of three ways, and each pays differently. Knowing all three payouts before you press the knock button is the core scoring skill of the game.

Knock: score the gap between your deadwood and the defender’s after lay-offs.
Gin: score the defender’s full deadwood plus 25, with no lay-offs allowed.
Undercut: the defender ties or beats your count and takes the difference plus 25.

When to knock

Knocking early can protect a lead, but it gives up the chance to go gin. Knock when your deadwood is low and the opponent has been taking useful discards.

Gin Rummy FAQ

Can I play Gin Rummy online for free?

The full game costs nothing and never asks you to register. It runs entirely in your browser, and your round statistics save to your own device.

What is deadwood in Gin Rummy?

Deadwood is every card in your hand that belongs to no set or run. Aces count 1 point, face cards count 10, and the total decides both whether you may knock and how much a finished round is worth.

When can you knock in Gin Rummy?

Only after your discard, and only when your unmatched cards total 10 points or fewer. Knocking ends the round on the spot — but if the AI finishes with less deadwood than you, it undercuts you and claims the bonus instead.

What does going gin mean?

Gin is the perfect ending: after you discard, all ten of your cards sit in sets and runs with zero deadwood. It earns a gin bonus on top of the deadwood spread, and a gin hand can never be undercut.

Should I take the discard pile?

Rarely, unless the face-up card completes or extends a meld immediately. Every discard you pick up tells the AI exactly what you are collecting, while a stock draw keeps your plan hidden.