Gin Rummy: A Great Alternative to Card Games

Gin Rummy is one of the most popular card games and also one of the popular online versions of rummy. Here, we describe the basic rules of Gin Rummy, and then focus on ways to improve your playing skills at this card game. These card games are generally played by two players, each receiving ten cards unles played via the internet. If this turns into an online game then the rules generally differ according to the number of players playing. Some players call this game 500 Rum.

A standard deck of 52 cards is used and they value just like in rummy. The object of this game is to arrange as many as possible of the ten cards in your hand into sets. There are two kinds of sets: sequences and groups - and these are just like in rummy.

How to Count your Score:

Each player counts the total value of their unmatched cards. If the knockers count is lower, the knocker scores the difference between the two counts. If the knocker did not go gin, and the counts are equal, or the knockers count is greater than that of the opponent, the knocker has been undercut. In this case the knockers opponent scores the difference between the counts plus a 10 point bonus.

A player who goes gin scores a bonus 20 points, plus the opponents count in unmatched cards, if any. A player who goes gin can never be undercut. Even if the other player has no unmatched cards at all, the knocker gets the 20 point bonus; the other gambler scores nothing.

This card game continues with further deals until one players cumulative score reaches 100 points or more. The player then receives an additional bonus of 100 points. If the loser fails to score anything at all during the game, then the winner's bonus is 200 points rather than 100.

In addition, each player adds a further 20 points for each hand they won. This is called the line bonus or box bonus. These additional points cannot be counted as part of the 100 needed to win the game.

After the bonuses have been added, the player with the lower score pays the player with the higher score an amount proportional to the difference between their scores.