How to Win at Gin Rummy

Anon

• Publisher: Brownell Press
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9781447415763
• eBook ISBN: 9781473394223

This antique book contains a detailed treatise on how to win at the card game Gin Rummy, with information on rules, terminology, odds, and technique. The perfect book for those with an interest in either learning the game or honing their existing skills, 'How to Win at Gin Rummy' is not to be missed by card game enthusiasts and makes for a wonderful addition to collections of gaming literature. The chapters of this book include: 'Terms Used in Gin Rummy', 'Is Gin Rummy a Game of Luck', 'The Basic Theory of Gin Rummy', 'Play Your Hand to Get it Down to 10 or Under', 'How to Play the Odds', 'Knock at the First Opportunity', 'Don't Pick an Open Card Which Won't Make You a Meld', 'When Should the First Card be Picked Up?', 'Never Throw Your Opponent a Card He Can Use', et cetera. This text has been elected for modern republication because of its timeless educational value, and we are proud to republish it here complete with a new introduction on the subject.

GIN RUMMY FOR THREE HANDS

HOW TO PLAY

Gin Rummy, played according to the Standard Rules, is a grand game for three hands.

Only two players are actively engaged in each deal. The third player sits out.

In starting the game, all three players cut for the deal. Low card deals. Next highest card becomes his opponent. Highest card becomes the kibitzer.

The winner of the first deal then plays the former kibitzer. The loser of the first deal sits out and then plays the winner of the second deal. In other words, the winner of each hand continues to play until he is beaten.

In tallying the score, merely make three columns, one for each player. The player who scores 100 points first wins the game and with it, a bonus of 100 points.

After individual scores are totaled, the winner of the game collects from two players. The runner-up collects from the lowest scorer, winning the difference in points between his score and that of the tail-ender. Bottom man thus loses to both of his opponents.

STRATEGY

In this game it is sound strategy to try to get something of a score, no matter how small, even at the expense of giving up a wonderful chance for gin, and even though you know you will not score very much. Your first objective must be to get off the Shnide, for if luck runs against you, the game can be over before you really have had a chance to get going.

Remember that in this game, if you lose you stay out and cannot score at all. If either opponet should have a fairly good run, you’ll be on the hook. It’s bad enough to get caught, but why get caught double! So score something at the very earliest opportunity, even if it is only one measly point.

SHNIDERED!

GIN RUMMY FOR FOUR HANDS

HOW TO PLAY

Gin Rummy for four hands, fast becoming America’s most popular card game, provides a splendid way for two couples to spend a social evening.

In four-handed Gin Rummy the players divide into two teams. A and B team up against X and Y. Players seat themselves around the table as in bridge, so that A faces B and X faces Y. In this way A can first play X and, without rising from the table, can turn around and then play Y.

Here’s how the game goes. First, a card is dealt to each player. The team of the lowest card-holder deals. After the deal, the two scores are counted together. Let’s say that A wins 38 points from X while B wins 6 points from Y. Then the team of A and B scores 44 points. Suppose A loses 25 points to X, and B wins 6 points from Y. Then the team of X and Y wins 19 points for that box.

The team that won the last box deals first on the next hand. Players alternate their opponents each deal. If A plays X first and B plays Y, then on the next deal A plays Y and B plays X. On the third deal A plays X again, etc. The team that scores 125 points first wins the game and gets the usual 100 point bonus for winning.

Players who finish playing their hands may coach their partners.

STRATEGY

Now as to the actual playing of the hand, tactics of play are no different than for individual play. The main pitfall in this game is that most players try to impress their partners with their prowess and attempt to go gin on every hand. You are more apt to lose points by this attitude than by any other mistake that you can make in play. If you play to get 10 or under and go out, you are far more likely to catch your opponent with a big hand, and so roll up a big score for your team.

GETTING OFF THE SHNIDE

(1) If your team is on the Shnide, (that is, you have no points at all) and your partner has made a score of 20 or over, it is up to you to keep that score good. You must play to place your team in the scoring column. Reduce your hand just as quickly as possible so that your unmatched cards total less than 20. This ensures a score for your team. If your opponent knocks and you hold a count of 18, that is the most he can score. Though you have lost on your own hand, your team wins the box. Specifically, then, discard your high cards even though they be pairs, and even though there is strong likelihood that they will develop into melds. You daren’t take the chance of being caught with high cards since that would destroy your immediate objective of winning this particular hand.

(2) Knock at the first possible opportunity, even though you are likely to lose the hand. Yes, knock even if knocking means giving up a most inviting chance to go gin. Even if your opponent lays off all his unmatched cards on your melds so that he has no count at all, the most he can score is a bonus of 10 plus your unmatched cards. In other words, by going under your hand, the very most your opponent can score is a count of 20. If your partner has scored as little as 21 points, you knock with the positive assurance that your team will win the hand and get off the Shnide.

SAVING THE GAME

One more point: Let’s say that your opponents have a score of 119 and your partner has lost 8 on the deal. Your opponents are about to win the game unless you save the day. In such a situation where the score is very, very close, you cannot afford to knock unless you are fairly sure that you will win the hand. If your opponent has picked up a card and it seems likely that he holds 1 or 2 melds, it would be dangerous to knock holding more than 2 or 3 points. Obviously in such a situation if your opponent holds less than 10 he would knock and win the game. If you knock it is quite possible that your opponent will be able to lay off one card on your melds. If he does so, he has a good chance of bringing his count down under yours. Should your opponent go under your count, you not only lose the deal, but the game with it. Sit tight however only if a number of cards have been discarded. If only 4 or 5 picks have been made, and you need to pick up only 3 points or so to stop your opponents from making game, then of course you should knock.

On the other hand, if your partner’s loss has given your opponents a score of 145 or over, so that it is up to you to pick up at least 21 points to save the game, play for gin even though you are sure that you can win some points by knocking. Winning a few points won’t help in this instance. You must reduce the score to at least 124. Of course, if only a few picks have been made and it is likely that you will pick up enough points to save the game with an early knock, then by all means knock. Otherwise, think of your hand only in terms of going gin.

That means that you must consider the pattern of your hand from an entirely different viewpoint than you would ordinarily. In such a hand, a single Ace is a meaningless card. It can never help you to go gin. You must think of your hand in terms of 2 melds of 3 cards each plus 1 meld of 4 cards. Try to develop these 3 combinations.

Looking at the hand from this viewpoint, a pair of Aces is worse than a pair of Eight’s. There is some likelihood of your opponent throwing off an Eight, less likelihood of his throwing off an Ace. Therefore, it is better to hold high pairs when playing for gin than low pairs. Also, it is better to hold a straight, such as Six-Seven-Eight, than Three-of-a-Kind. There is only 1 card that can help you to improve Three-of-a-Kind while there are 2 cards which can improve a Straight.

This phase of team play has been gone into at apparent length because this situation is not at all unusual in Four-handed Gin Rummy. In fact, it almost always develops when one team approaches the end of the game and is about to score enough points to win. Many times, by proper play the opponents can be held at bay for this one crucial round. Then, on the next hand, you and your partner may both hold killer-dillers, overcome your opponent’s lead, and win what otherwise would have been a losing game.

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Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Terms Used in Gin Rummy
• Is Gin Rummy a Game of Luck?
• The Basic Theory of Gin Rummy
• Play Your Hand to Get it Down to 10 or Under—NOT to Go Gin
• How to Play the Odds
• Knock at the First Opportunity
• Don’t Pick an Open Card Which Won’t Make You a Meld
• When Should the First Card be Picked Up?
• Never Throw Your Opponent a Card He Can Use
• Avoid Discarding a Card Which Your Opponent May Use
• Don’t Hold a Fistful of High, Unmatched Cards
• When to Play for Gin
• Special Features