Gin Rummy – Play Online for Free

Gin rummy, often just called gin, is rummy for two, and it is an American invention. The man usually credited with it is Elwood T. Baker of Brooklyn: as early as 1915 the Wichita Eagle in Kansas reported that local card players were taking up a game called gin that he had originated. The often-quoted year 1909, by contrast, only turns up in accounts from the 1950s. Baker's son is said to have suggested the name as a play on rum and gin. In the early 1940s gin became a Hollywood craze, and Billy Wilder's "The Apartment" from 1960 ends over an unfinished game with the line "Shut up and deal." Here you can play gin rummy for free and without signing up against a computer opponent.

Knock or wait for gin: Gin Rummy rules and tips

You face a single computer opponent with an ordinary deck of 52 cards. Each player gets ten, one more card is laid face up as the first card of the discard pile, and what remains becomes the stock. The aim is to arrange your hand into melds: sets, meaning three or four kings, sevens or any other rank, or runs of at least three cards in sequence in one suit. The ace is always low, so queen, king and ace do not form a run. Whatever fits into no meld is deadwood: an ace counts 1, a two to ten its face value, and a jack, queen or king 10.

• The upcard: The non-dealer may take it or pass first, then the dealer. If both pass, the non-dealer draws from the stock and play carries on as normal.
• A turn: You take either the face-down card from the stock or the face-up one from the discard pile, then discard one card face up. A card you have just taken from the discard pile may not go straight back in the same turn.
• Knocking: If your deadwood comes to 10 or less after discarding, you may knock. Your discard then goes face down on the pile, and both hands are spread face up. If you have no deadwood at all, it is gin.
• Laying off: After a knock the opponent may lay off matching cards on the knocker's melds and so cut down their own deadwood. After gin that is not allowed.
• Scoring a hand: If the knocker has less deadwood, the knocker scores the difference. If the opponent has the same or less, that is an undercut, worth the difference plus 10. Gin brings the opponent's deadwood plus 20 and cannot be undercut.
• End of the game: Whoever wins a hand deals the next one. If only two cards are left in the stock and nobody has knocked, the hand does not count and the same dealer deals again. The first player to reach 100 points wins the game and collects a game bonus of 100 on top. Each hand won adds a line bonus of 20, and if the opponent scored nothing at all, a further 100 come in for the shutout.

Scoring follows the classic rules, without big gin and without doubling. Your hand sorts itself into melds, and your name tag shows your deadwood. As soon as you are allowed to knock, a Knock or Gin button appears; after that you click the card that goes face down on the pile. The game lays out the settlement itself, with the best arrangement for both sides and every card that can be laid off. On Easy the computer pays little attention to half-built melds and waits a long time before knocking; on Hard it never discards carelessly.

A few pointers for the duel:

• Shed high cards early: A lone king or queen without a partner costs 10 points of deadwood. Cards like that belong on the discard pile early, while they are still of little use to the opponent.
• Keep cards that work two ways: A seven next to another seven and the eight of its suit can complete a set or a run. Cards like that double your chances.
• Read the discard pile: What your opponent picks up from it reveals what they are collecting. Don't throw them a card that fits right in.
• Knock in time: With little deadwood, an early knock is often better than waiting for gin. But if you are sitting right at 10 late in the hand, an undercut looms, because the opponent has long since put their hand in order.
• Think about laying off: After a knock the opponent can hang cards on your runs. Gin takes that chance away.

One duel is not enough? Five more games for collecting, discarding and playing out

For everyone who still wants to shuffle after the final tally:

• Rummy: Four players sit at the table here, and two decks with jokers are shuffled together. Instead of knocking, you lay your melds out face up and win as soon as your hand is empty.
• Canasta: A relative from the same family, played in teams. Melds are made only from cards of one rank, and seven of them make a canasta.
• Blackjack: Another duel, this time against the house. You draw cards until you are close to 21 without going over.
• Black Peter: Making pairs, three at the table. You draw a hidden card from your neighbor, put down pairs and hope not to be left holding the odd card at the end.
• President: Here too it is all about getting rid of your cards fastest. The ranks are handed out anew after every round, and whoever finishes last has to give up their strongest cards at the next deal.