Guide Note

Gin rummy is a variation on the standard rummy card game in which the object is to make runs and sets in an effort to go "gin" and lay down all your cards before your opponent does.

Fast Facts

1. Ace is always low
2. Called "Gin" for short
3. Usually a two-player game, but variations can be made for more players
4. Players take turns acting as dealer
5. Invented by Elwood T. Baker in 1909

Each player is dealt a hand of ten cards from a standard 52-pack deck after which the deck is placed face-down on the table. The player who did not deal selects a card from the top of the deck and then discards either the selected card or another card from their hand. The next player may pick up either the discard or the top card from the deck. A player may go out, or "gin," once all their cards are arranged in runs and/or sets of at least three cards each and they have one card left over to discard. Once one player has declared gin, all the players count their cards and the scorekeeper records the scores. The match is over once one player has reached a predetermined number of points.