As with all card games and board games I play, I love it when I can really dig into strategy and tips for playing better and winning more games.
Not that I’m a person who needs to win all of the time; I really love playing just to play!
But there are times when I still want to play the best I can!
This is where these 10 Gin Rummy tips come in! I compiled this list based on my own experiences and those of other players.
Let’s jump in!
Gin Rummy is a great game, but you need the basic rules to get the most out of it.
Check out our complete guide here at the link and improve your 1-on-1 game nights instantly!
Table of Contents
#1 Discard Your Deadwood Cards Down To Lower Values
After the initial deal, you kind of know which strategy you’re going for. Putting together sets of the same rank or potential runs (or both!), you often end up with several cards that just don’t belong at all!
These cards don’t even have the potential to play any time soon.
Let’s say one of these is the Queen of spades. You draw a 5 of clubs and realize it doesn’t match at all either!
Before you discard it, consider swapping out the Queen for the 5.
Sure, neither card is helping you, but the Queen is hurting you more. It’s 10 points against you, whereas the 5 is just 5.
By swapping down, you better your hand and aren’t any worse off as far as melds go.
#2 Prioritize Flexible Cards
Along the same lines, I like to keep my options open. You never know what the opponent will discard or what you’ll draw!
I like to keep combinations of cards that can work in multiple ways.
One of my favorite strategies is to keep a potential set along with a run.
For example, the Queen of spades, the Queen of clubs, and the Jack of clubs. I’ll keep these intact with each other over a simple potential couple of sets, like those same Queens with two 5 cards.
Why?
With the Q-Q-J, I could make melds with either:
- King of Clubs
- 10 of Clubs
- Queen of hearts
- Queen of diamonds
With two Queens and two 5s, I could make melds with either:
- Queen of hearts
- Queen of diamonds
- Five of whatever
- Five of whatever
Both options have four cards that work, but with the first one, we only need to hold onto three cards to get there.
#3 Don’t Put All Your Eggs In One Basket
At the end of the game, you and your opponent will often end up just drawing cards, trying to find that perfect one.
This isn’t ideal, though it’s sometimes unavoidable.
If possible, make it so that when you draw for those final melds, you’re not waiting on one card but at least two.
A common trap I see people falling into is drawing for the fourth card in a set of the same rank and just holding onto several deadwood that doesn’t match.
One specific card is going to be tough to draw. If the option arises, hold onto a card that gives you more potential.
After all, your opponent may be using that final card in one of their sets or runs! You’ll never see it in this case!
#4 Watch Your Opponent’s Discards
Pay attention to your opponent’s discards: Keep track of which cards your opponent is discarding and try to deduce which cards they might need.
This can help you decide which cards to keep or discard.
It also may help you decide when to switch strategies and collect when they discard specific cards later on.
#5 Memorize The Discard Pile
Keep track of the cards in the discard pile: Remember which cards have been discarded so you can avoid discarding a card that your opponent might need.
On top of this, you can also figure out if your potential meld even has a chance of getting completed.
I once waited for almost an entire game for a 5 when the one I was looking for got discarded the second turn, and I didn’t realize it.
If you’re really quick at math, you can even calculate the odds of needed cards showing up, but that’s on a whole other level.
#6 Runs Have More Potential Than Sets
Look for runs as well as sets: While sets are important, don’t forget about runs (three or more consecutive cards of the same suit). Runs can be just as valuable as sets.
#7 Be Patient
It may not always be best to knock or go down as soon as you can!
If you have a decent potential for matching up your remaining cards (or you have really low cards like aces*), you might want to hold onto them and keep playing for the chance to get gin!
Read more: Gin Rummy Aces & Other Commonly Asked Questions
If you get gin or big gin, you get some serious bonus points that can completely turn the game around.
#8 Balance The Round With The Score Of The Whole Game
By another token, you also need to look at the game and the score as a whole. Adapt your strategy to meet the needs of the game.
If things are pretty even, just play normally, which usually means knocking as soon as you can (unless you have a really low deadwood score and a high potential for matching).
When you’re far ahead, for sure, knock quickly, you don’t want to give the opponent a chance to get gin and catch up!
If you’re way behind, you extra want to hold onto the cards and go for gin or big gin. You need to risk it to get back in the game.
Another situation where you want to go down right away is when it’s early in the round. Even if the deadwood score is right at 10, it may be worth it to stick the opponent with a whole hand of deadwood.
You may end up with quite the count!
Further Reading: Gin Rummy Scoring Guide
#9 Be Ready To Pivot
Keep your options open: Don’t lock yourself into one strategy.
Be flexible and willing to change your approach based on the cards you receive.
This is especially true if you see your opponent is starting to dump a bunch of similar cards.
#10 Play A Lot!
Practice makes perfect: The more you play, the better you will become.
Play online against computers or with other people, or play more in person.
All you need is a deck of cards, and be ready to have a good time!
