Learn the game
Gin Rummy rules
Learn the Gin Rummy rules used in DeNiro Card: the deal, legal moves, scoring and how to win. House rules vary; these are the rules at DeNiro Card tables.
Choose a Gin Rummy tableHow to play Gin Rummy
- 10 cards each and one face-up discard; the rest is the stock. You go first in the first hand, then the opener alternates.
- Each turn: draw the top of the stock or the top discard, then discard one card. You can't discard the card you just took from the discard pile.
- Melds are sets of 3 or 4 of a rank, or runs of 3 or more in one suit with the Ace low only. Values: Ace 1, face cards 10, others face value.
- Knock when your unmatched cards (deadwood) total 10 or less after your discard. You choose which meld layout you declare.
- Gin (no deadwood) scores 25 plus your opponent's deadwood, and they may not lay off.
- After a knock your opponent lays off onto your melds. If their remaining deadwood is equal to or lower than yours, that is an undercut: they score 25 plus the difference. Otherwise you score the difference.
- If only 2 cards remain in the stock when a draw is due, the hand is a wash: no score, new deal.
- First to 100 wins.
- Your clock: at a coin table against the computer you get up to 90 seconds for each move, and the table header counts down the exact time left. If it runs out, the table plays that move for you on the merits. You are not forfeited, nothing extra is charged, and your stake and payout are unchanged. Each of your first three missed moves keeps the full clock; miss a third in a row and the rest of the hand runs at computer speed, about two thirds of a second a turn, which in practice finishes it for you. Making one move yourself puts the full clock back. An Online table against real people runs its own, separate clock; watch the same countdown there.
Common questions
How many cards are dealt in Gin Rummy?
10 cards each and one face-up discard; the rest is the stock. You go first in the first hand, then the opener alternates.
When can you knock in Gin Rummy?
Knock when your unmatched cards (deadwood) total 10 or less after your discard. You choose which meld layout you declare.
How do you score and win in Gin Rummy?
Gin (no deadwood) scores 25 plus your opponent's deadwood, and they may not lay off. After a knock your opponent lays off onto your melds. If their remaining deadwood is equal to or lower than yours, that is an undercut: they score 25 plus the difference. Otherwise you score the difference. First to 100 wins.
Playing in DeNiro Card
Practice lets you play any game with no account and no coins. Coin tables use virtual play coins and need a DeNiro account; choose a coin stake before joining one. Leaving an active coin game forfeits the stake and adds a 10% leaving fee. Play coins have no cash value and cannot be cashed out.
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