Q&A for How to Play Gin Rummy

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Question

How can I play against a friend?

Community Answer

Ask a friend if they would like to play with you, and then show them the rules to the game.

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Question

If a player knocks with 3 points unmelded and the opponent has 3 also, how is the hand scored?

Community Answer

When the knocker and the opponent have equal value of unmelded cards (termed "deadwood"), this is an undercut. The knocker's opponent scores 10 points. Note that there are variations in scoring.

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Question

Can a player go inside the pile and pick up a card they can form a meld with out of turn by declaring "Rummy on the table"?

Community Answer

No, players can only take a card when it is their turn to play, and can only take a card from either the stock pile or the top of the discard pile.

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Question

On the discard pile do we stack one on top of the other or spread each card next to each other?

Community Answer

Stack them one on top of the other, and only draw the the top card from either the stock pile or the discard pile.

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Question

Is a King-Ace-two a run?

Community Answer

No, King is the highest and Ace is the lowest, you can't connect them in a run.

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Question

What happens if a person knocks and lays down 11 points?

Community Answer

Play continues, but the erring party has to play his hand face up until he can get to 10 or below and then knock.

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Question

Is a run or set better, or does it matter?

Community Answer

It matters, but each has its own good and bad parts. A run is easier to make, and you can add onto either side infinitely, but it counts as less. A set is harder to make, and you can only make it up to four cards, but it counts more.

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Question

When it's my turn, can I pick up additional cards from the pile before I discard?

Community Answer

No, once you take a card you may either discard it, or keep it and discard another card.

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Question

Who wins, the higher or lower total score at the end?

Community Answer

In short, highest if counting runs as positive. If you are playing the points rule on scored runs against hands (each run/set is counted plus, each hand card is a minus) then the highest wins. If you are only playing the score of the hands, similar to UNO or Hearts, whereas each card is counted positive and the runs/sets are merely reductions to the hand total, then the lower personal score generally would be the winner. In this case, it is not uncommon to count your score as the hand count of the other players, and still work with highest score wins.

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Question

What if after the non-knocker lays off his cards he has no cards left?

Community Answer

Then the non-knocker has undercut the knocker, and receives 25 bonus points in addition to the knocker's deadwood points.

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Question

Can I meld a run of more than 4 cards?

Community Answer

Yes, and this is often very helpful, since you are playing with 10 cards in your hand.

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Question

What is a box bonus in Gin Rummy?

Community Answer

Box Bonus (or Line bonus) – At the end of the match, a player receives a bonus of 25 points for every hand (or round) won during the match.

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Question

What happens when I reach the end of the deck and no one has attained gin or knocked?

Larry Sr Shearer

Community Answer

You should reshuffle the discard pile and place it face down for a new hidden card file.

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Question

Can I pick up the whole discard pile if I want?

Community Answer

No. Not in gin rummy. One may draw only the top card from the discard pile or the stock. A turn ends upon discarding a card.

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Question

Is 3 of a kind say 3 jacks better than a run say jack queen king?

Community Answer

Yes. The three of a kind is much better due to the Jack, Queen, and King run only are a part of the royal straight causing it to not be as high as the three of kind with Jacks.

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Question

Can I have two runs of 5 cards to go out?

Community Answer

Yes. It's not common, but it's not rare either. I wouldn't play for it, but if you back into it, it is gin.

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Question

How do I score it if we both get gin?

Community Answer

This is called being undercut. The opponent (not the knocker) scores the difference in counts plus 10.

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Question

In gin rummy, can I only pick up one card from the discard pile?

Community Answer

No, you can pick up as many as you want, but you have to play/use the last card you pick up.

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Question

If I have four sixes, is that equal to twenty-four points?

Community Answer

If you have them as deadwood, then yes, that will equal twenty-four points for your opponent.

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Question

Is it possible to take cards from the discard pile when playing Rummy?

Community Answer

No, the cards in the discard pile are just shuffled and used again if no one has any runs or sets to basically start over.

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Question

Can I discard before picking from the deck in gin rummy?

Community Answer

No. The discard is always seen as the last action in a player's turn. Moreover, strategy would dictate that you would want to see the card you've selected prior to discarding another.

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Question

I knocked. My partner had a full gin hand. What happens?

Community Answer

The non-knocker earns 10 points if the knocker also has gin, if the knocker has deadwood, then the opponent gets 25 points and whatever deadwood the knocker has.

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Question

Do I get extra points for 11-card gin?

Community Answer

If you can get 11-card gin, it's called a "big gin" and is worth an additional 31 points.

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Question

If I am able to go out with no discards, and my opponent lays down all their cards also, is that an undercut ?

Community Answer

An undercut only occurs as the result of a knock. If your hand is laid down with NO deadwood and the same for your opponent, then you both have laid down with gin. In order to legally claim gin, you must discard and declare.

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Question

How do I pick up from the discard pile when I call rummy? Do I take the whole pile or only the rummy card?

Community Answer

Only take the rummy card. Match it with those in your hand and lay down your hand.

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Question

What happens when the cards are miscounted?

Community Answer

The player with the incorrect card count is penalized 25 points and the hand is played over if the error is noticed after play has begun. If the miscount is made during the dealing of the cards, then the deal is redone with a fresh deck.

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Question

Do runs in gin rummy need to be the same suit?

Community Answer

Yes. Since aces are low, A23 all one suit is a valid run, but AKQ is not.

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Question

If you knock and discover you have too many points left after you lay your melds down, how do you proceed?

Community Answer

Your opponent has the option of ignoring the infraction, playing his melds and scoring the hand. Or he can tell you to pick up your illegal knock and play on. No additional penalty is applied, but the option to accept or to play on with knowledge of the opponent's cards favors the non-offending player.

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Question

If a player calls gin but it is not, they should have knocked, what is the penalty

Community Answer

Just proceed as if the player has knocked. No bonus points are awarded in this case for the knocker.

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Question

Can you pick up all cards in the discard pile?

Community Answer

No, you can only pick up the card from the top of the discard pile, or the card from the top of the stock pile, and only one card per turn. Once a card in the discard pile has been covered by another card discarded on top of it, it can no longer be picked up.

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