How to Play Gin Rummy

Created back in 1909 by Elwood T. Baker and his son C. Graham Baker, the two-player card game of Gin rummy (or just "Gin") hails from the family of rummy games. From its period of origin, it has enjoyed massive popularity worldwide and is particularly cherished by US audiences as a social game.

Traditionally, we play the game with a standard deck of fifty-two (52) cards. The ranking of the cards from low to high is Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King. Several variants of the gin rummy game include Straight gin, Mahjong gin, Oklahoma gin, Hollywood gin, Tedesco gin, and Single and Multi-matches. Each variant tweaks some aspects of the game to give it unique spins, but they're all exciting and entertaining in their own rights.

Like other online rummy games, online Gin rummy is now available to play on your smartphones. The MPL Pro app comes with a fun-filled version of the game, where you engage with other online players in 1v1 battles. Learn and clearly understand the Gin rummy rules given above before playing!

Each player receives ten cards at the start of the game. All remaining cards are put on the table face-down, and one card is put face-up next to the deck to start the discard pile

Ideally, the first step towards winning is to form melds (sets and runs) and eliminate as much deadwood as possible. Based on the deadwood you have at the end of the game, the game is scored. Once either player reaches 50 points, the game ends. This is followed by the grand total calculation, including any bonuses, to determine who the winner is based on who scores higher.

For more tips and strategies on how to win at gin rummy, click here.

Any card(s) in your hand that does not form part of a valid combination (run or set) are called deadwood in gin rummy.

If the knocker doesn't go gin and the counts are equivalent, or the knocker's count is greater than the opponent's, the knocker is undercut.

The rules of gin rummy are pretty similar to that of rummy. The significant difference between the two games is that the players needn't lay down their runs and sets until they are all set to conclude the round. If the opposing player possesses valid sets or runs in his hand, they will not be counted as points.

In rummy, the dealer randomly picks your cards, while in gin rummy, the player picks their card from the shuffle. Also, the player with the lowest card value will be the next dealer in gin rummy, whereas, in rummy, a clockwise rotation picks the cards with usually one dealer in the online versions.

There are certain rules for when you can knock. You may knock only if you end up with ten or fewer deadwood points (human cards count as 10, aces as one, and other cards their face values). The card you knock with (place facedown on the discard pile) is excluded in that number. So, if you just drew and have 3, 5, 9 as deadwood, you will be allowed to knock with the 9, and you'd end up with 3+5 = 8 deadwood points. 
Knocking with no deadwood, i.e., all ten cards forming melds, is called going Gin. Going Big Gin is when you have eleven cards in melds, in which case you have Big Gin, and the game concludes without you discarding the final facedown card.

Though it is difficult to pinpoint a reason, it is widely believed that Gin Rummy got its name from a member of the Knickerbocker Whist Club in New York. He apparently referred to the game “Gin” based on the alcoholic drink as an analogy to the original game of Rum—but there is no clear indicator that “Rummy” received its name after an alcoholic beverage.

Of course, you can! A fantastic platform to play the game online is the MPL Pro app. Pick any available battle or tournament on the game's dashboard, pay the entry fee, and play against random online opponents!