Gin Rummy

Tidy your hand, then knock

Gin Rummy is the two-player rummy. You never lay melds down during play: you build sets and runs in your hand, and end the hand by knocking when your leftover cards are worth 10 or less.

Ten cards each

The dealer gives each player ten cards. The rest is the stock; turn its top card face up next to it.

For the first upcard only: the non-dealer may take it or pass, then the dealer may take it or pass. If both pass, the non-dealer draws from the stock.

Knock

With 10 points of deadwood or less, after drawing, you may knock: discard one card face down, then spread your hand.

You could have knocked already, but you wait a turn in the hope of gin. On your next turn you draw the 7 of hearts. It fits nothing, so it becomes your face-down discard. Your deadwood is still the 2 of spades: you knock with 2.

Knock low, sleep well.

Or go gin

If all ten cards are melded, with no deadwood at all, you go gin. That scores a 20-point bonus.

The other player lays off

After a knock (not after gin) your opponent spreads their hand and may lay off deadwood on your melds to lower their count. Their 6 of clubs extends your run and their 8 of clubs joins your 8s.

First to 100

Keep playing hands until someone reaches 100. The winner gets a 100-point game bonus, plus 20 for every hand they won. If the loser scored nothing at all, the winner gets another 100 for the shutout.