This Gin Rummy glossary explains the most common terms you’ll encounter when learning or playing Gin Rummy. Each definition is written clearly for beginners and matches standard Gin Rummy rules.
Use this page as a quick reference while reading rules, strategy guides, or playing online.
A
Ace
A card worth 1 point when counted as deadwood. Aces can be used in runs only as low cards (A-2-3), not high.
B
Big Gin
A variation where a player forms melds using all 11 cards after drawing, resulting in a larger bonus. Not used in standard Gin Rummy.
C
Card Values
The point values used for deadwood:
- Ace = 1
- Number cards = face value
- Jack, Queen, King = 10
D
Deadwood
Cards in a player’s hand that are not part of any meld. Deadwood determines when you can knock and how scoring works.
👉 See: What Is Deadwood in Gin Rummy?
Discard Pile
The face-up pile where players place one card at the end of each turn. Only the top card may be drawn.
G
Gin
Ending a round with zero deadwood, meaning all cards are part of melds. Going gin earns a bonus and prevents layoffs.
Gin Bonus
A bonus (usually 25 points) awarded when a player goes gin, added to the opponent’s deadwood.
Gin Rummy
A two-player card game played with a standard 52-card deck. The objective is to form melds and minimize deadwood.
K
Knock
Ending a round by discarding when your deadwood is 10 points or less.
👉 See: When to Knock in Gin Rummy
L
Layoff
After a knock, the non-knocking player may add cards to the knocker’s melds to reduce their own deadwood. Layoffs are not allowed after gin.
👉 See: Layoffs in Gin Rummy Explained
M
Meld
A valid card combination:
- Set: Three or four cards of the same rank
- Run: Three or more consecutive cards of the same suit
O
Oklahoma Gin
A Gin Rummy variation where the first face-up card determines the maximum knock value for that hand.
👉 See: Gin Rummy vs Oklahoma Gin
R
Run
A meld consisting of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit.
S
Set
A meld consisting of three or four cards of the same rank.
Stock Pile
The face-down pile from which players draw when not taking the discard.
U
Undercut
Occurs when a player knocks but the opponent has equal or lower deadwood. The opponent wins the round and receives a bonus.
👉 See: How to Avoid Undercuts in Gin Rummy
W
Winning Score
The total number of points needed to win a game, usually 100 points.
Common Beginner Confusions
- Deadwood vs melds: Only cards outside melds count as deadwood
- Knock vs gin: Knocking allows deadwood; gin requires zero deadwood
- Layoffs: Allowed only after a knock, never after gin
Understanding these terms prevents scoring and timing mistakes.