- 1
Two players use a standard 52-card deck (no jokers). Each gets 10 cards; the next card is turned face up to start the discard pile, and the rest form the stock.
- 2
Form your cards into melds: sets (3 or 4 cards of the same rank) and runs (3 or more cards in a row of the same suit, such as 4♥ 5♥ 6♥). A card can belong to only one meld.
- 3
Aces are low. A-2-3 is a run, but Q-K-A and K-A-2 are not.
- 4
Cards that aren't in a meld are deadwood. Aces count 1, 2 to 10 count their number, and J, Q and K count 10.
- 5
On your turn, draw the top card of the stock or the discard pile, then discard one card. You can't discard the card you just took from the discard pile.
- 6
On the very first turn, the non-dealer may take the upcard or pass, then the dealer may take it or pass. If both pass, the non-dealer starts by drawing from the stock.
- 7
If your deadwood is 10 or less after discarding, you may knock to end the hand. Knocking with no deadwood at all is gin. Knocking is never required.
- 8
The other player then forms their melds and may lay off deadwood onto the knocker's melds (for example, adding 7♥ to 4♥ 5♥ 6♥). There are no layoffs against gin.
- 9
If the knocker has less deadwood, they score the difference. If the other player has the same or less, it's an undercut: they score the difference plus 25.
- 10
Gin scores 25 plus the opponent's deadwood, and can't be undercut.
- 11
If only 2 cards are left in the stock and the player who drew discards without knocking, the hand is a draw with no score. The deal alternates, and the first player to reach 100 points wins.
