Gin Rummy is one heck of a fun game on its own, but after a while, you may want to mix it up a bit.
If you don’t want to give up the core of this classic game, this is where some little variants may come into play and keep your interest.
There are a few out there, and many of them are great.
I scoured the internet to find these Gin Rummy variations to share with you.
I’ll explain how each is different than the standard Gin Rummy and when it may be good to play it.
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
Straight Gin
With the Straight Gin variation, there is no knocking. Players can only go Gin or Big Gin to go out.
It’s up to you to decide if you want to keep giving out the bonus points.
On the one hand, since everyone HAS to go Gin, it doesn’t feel like a bonus.
But on the other, hands will last longer and the deadwood scores are lower.
This means the games will end up being longer if you don’t include the 25 bonus points.
There’s no standard for this, so play it how you and your opponent agree.
Mahjong Gin
This variation of Gin Rummy is like a mashup of Mahjong and Gin.
As such, there are several changes to the main gameplay rules.
Just like in Straight Gin, you can’t knock in this game. You must go Gin!
But you can take more than one card from the discard pile as long as you take them in order.
You have to use the lowest card you took in your hand.
Then you put your cards face-up on the table, and your opponents can add cards to their sets to get more points.
People can play off each other as the game goes on.
If you go gin, you get 25 extra points!
And each card has a different point value at the end of the game: 2-9 are worth 5 points, 10-K are worth 10 points, and Aces are 15.
Oklahoma Gin
This is the most common variant, and it’s the one featured in tournaments.
All the rules are the same as traditional Gin Rummy EXCEPT for the knock value.
Typically, you need 10 or fewer deadwood to knock.
In Oklahoma Gin, the value is determined by the first card flipped over into the discard pile.
If it’s a 10, Jack, Queen, or King, the knock value is 10.
If it’s a numbered card, you must meet that number (if you flip an 8, you need 8 or less, for example).
When an Ace is cut, you must go Gin!
All bonuses and other play continue as normal.
Further Reading: Gin Rummy Terms To Help You Play The Game Better
Hollywood Gin
This is just a way to keep score, not a change to the rules of gin. When you play Hollywood gin, you keep score for three different games all at once.
When someone wins the first game, it gets written in their column for Game One. If they win a second time, it gets written in their columns for Game One and Game Two.
If they win a third time, it gets written in their column for all three games. After that, every game gets scored in all three columns.
When one game is finished, bonus points are added up, and hands are played until all three games are finished.
Once all three games are done, you add up the scores for a total score.
Tedesco Gin
This one is like Oklahoma Gin, but the Aces are different.
Typically, Aces must always be low and can only make runs with twos and threes.
In Tedesco Gin, the Aces are a value of 1, but they can make runs with Kings and Queens too.
They will even make runs “around the corner,” such as with a King – Ace – 2.
But as a punishment, unmelded Aces now come with a 15-point penalty, so don’t just go holding onto them!
Single Match
In a single match, you play to a specified point total (usually 100 points).
The first player to reach this win!
There are no end-of-game bonuses given. The score is what it is at the end.
Multi Match
When you play games with multiple matches, the scores reset to zero at the beginning of each match. The game scores keep adding up until someone reaches the winning score, like maybe 500 or more. Each match ends when one player scores 100 match points. At the end of the match, the players’ match scores get added to their game scores, and they get:
- 25 game points for each round they won,
- 100 game points if they won the match, and
- 100 extra game points if the loser didn’t win any rounds.
Sequence Gin
Howard Fosdick created this variation, and it’s pretty fun.
No sets are allowed (three or four of a kind). The only way to meld is to have a sequence or run.
They still have to match suits.
Knocking and undercutting work like normal, though many people also add the knock value requirement like Oklahoma Gin requires.
On top of the normal rules, players also get a bonus if a run goes for over 6 cards. They get one point per card.
This doesn’t change the deadwood count, though. It’s an end-of-hand bonus.
Colonel
Colonel Gin is like a mix of Rummy and Gin Rummy.
There are a few key rule changes to be aware of:
- You may meld down at any time. You may also play off the other player’s melds.
- Aces are high and worth 10 points.
- Aces can only make runs with the King and Queen.
- At any time, the player may challenge the other. This is like knocking but can only be done if the other player accepts the challenge. If both accept, you play as if the challenger knocked.
All other bonuses and points work the same. Knocking is still 10 points.
