Gin Rummy
Rummy is a relatively easy to follow game and while it has been a family favourite for many generations, it is only just making its way online. Although Rummy does have several variations and some even call card games "Rummy" when they have nothing to do with the original game, we have focused on Gin Rummy, the most popular Rummy variation and the one most featured on Rummy sites.
The aim of Gin Rummy is to basically get rid of your cards before the other player does...This move is known as "Gin". Players should try to keep their deadwood (this is cards that haven't been put into "melds") below 10, which is known as Knock. Finally, another move players can use to trump other players is undercutting another player's deadwood...If they have 9 and you have 8, you win. This is known as an "undercut".
While these moves are useful to know, they are pointless if you don't know your set melds from your run melds. Thankfully, we will now explain this to you:
- A sets meld is made up of cards of the same rank, such as 5
5
5
, these sets can include 3 - 4 cards. - A runs meld is made up of 3 or more cards in the same sequence, such as 5, 6, 7, 8 and so on.
By placing your cards into melds, you are removing them from your deadwood pile and are left with less value cards. For example, if you made a meld of 5, 6, 7, 8, these cards would have no value, whereas before their value would have been 26. To create a meld, all you need to do is follow one of the two meld types and place them on the meld section of the table. All cards are worth their face value, an Ace is worth 1 a 2 is worth 2 and so on. All face value cards are worth 10, just like in Blackjack.
Standard Rummy play consists of the following moves:
- Players draw a card from either one of the two card piles on the table, the discard pile (face up) or the stock pile (face down).
- Players then deposit a card from their hand
As you can see, Gin Rummy is a relatively simple game and as long as you understand your melds and playing moves, you will be winning in no time.