Knock 'em down With Gin Rummy
Being one of the most popular games of all time, Gin Rummy is played all throughout the world--- by pairs, three persons or even four, to form a partnership. If three people play, one player must be inactive during each deal, the winner of one hand plays with the inactive player.
Four people playing, the game actually consists of two separate games played simultaneously. Two people play as partners, alternately opposing the two other and keeping a partnership score.
The dealer distributes ten cards to each player and places the pack face down in the center of the table. The top card is turned face up alongside of the pack to start the discard pile. The non-dealer begins the play by drawing either the faced card or the top card from the stock.
After drawing, the non-dealer must discard, and then the dealer draws and discards, play alternating in this fashion until one of the players 'knocks' or 'gins'. The 'gin', which comprises the highest scoring, is accomplished when a player can lay down his entire hand replete with the regular Rummy combinations of sets and sequences. When a player gins, he scores 25 points plus the total value of all unmatched cards in his opponent's hand. Each face card counts ten points; aces, one point; and all others, their face value.
To knock, a player does not have to have all the cards in his hand matched, but the total count of the unmatched cards may not exceed ten. After a player has announced that he intends to knock, he lays down in his hand, and his opponent may play any of his unmatched cards that will match with the knocker's combinations. Then the remaining unmatched cards are totaled and subtracted from the knocker's unmatched total.
The knocker scores difference in the totals. However, if the knocker's total is the same as or exceeds his opponent's score, the latter accumulates the difference plus 25 points and the knocker, gets nothing. Whether the deal ends in a gin or a knock, only the winning player gets the score. All combinations are held in the hand and are not laid down until a player knocks or gins.
The score is kept in columns, one for each player, and each entry constitutes a box. The first player scoring 100 points wins the game and scores the difference between his total score and his opponent's. A bonus of 20 points is given to each player for each box scored. If the losing player fails to score any points in a game, the winner scores a 'Schneider' or shut-out and receives a bonus of 100 points.
