Straight Gin

Setup

• Players: two. Our practice table is you against one bot.
• Deck: one standard 52-card deck. Aces are low.
• Your hand: ten cards each.
• The pile: one card turns up to start the discard pile. The rest is the stock.

How to play

1. 1The first upcard. The non-dealer may take the turned-up card. If they pass, the dealer may. If both pass, the non-dealer draws from the stock.
2. 2Draw one. Take the top card of the stock or the top card of the discard pile.
3. 3Discard one. Put one card face up on the discard pile. You cannot throw back the card you just took from that pile.
4. 4Build melds. Make a set of three or four of a rank, or a run of three or more in the same suit. Aces are low.
5. 5Go gin. After discarding, if all ten cards left in your hand are melded, the hand ends and you score.
6. 6Stock down to two. If only two stock cards remain and nobody has gone gin, the hand is void. Nobody scores and the same dealer deals again.

Winning

Be the first to discard and leave all ten cards in sets and runs. That is gin. First to 50 in Quick game or 100 in Full game wins.

Scoring

The practice game has no separate box or match bonus. First to the selected score wins.

Key terms

Meld:

A set or run. Every card in a gin hand belongs to a meld.

Set:

Three or four cards of the same rank.

Run:

Three or more consecutive cards in one suit. Aces are low.

Deadwood:

Cards not in a meld. Aces 1, numbers their value, pictures 10.

Stock:

The face-down pile you draw from.

Upcard:

The first card turned up to start the discard pile.

Gin:

Ending the hand after a discard with no deadwood. Worth 20 points plus the opponent’s deadwood.

Void hand:

The stock reaches two cards before either player goes gin. Nobody scores.