Gin Rummy deadwood counter
Work out what your Gin Rummy hand is really worth. Tap your cards and the counter finds the best combination of sets and runs, then shows the deadwood left over.
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How deadwood is counted
- Aces are worth 1, face cards are worth 10, everything else is its number.
- Melds are sets of three or four of the same rank, or runs of three or more in one suit.
- Every card not in a meld is deadwood, and its value counts against you.
- Knock at 10 deadwood or less. Zero deadwood is gin, worth a 25-point bonus.
Reading the result
A card can only sit in one meld, so the counter tries every legal arrangement and keeps the one that leaves the fewest points behind. If your deadwood is 10 or less you may knock; if the opponent's deadwood after laying off is lower, they undercut you and take the bonus instead.
Common questions
- Can an ace be high in a run?
- No. In standard Gin Rummy the ace is low, so A-2-3 is a run and Q-K-A is not.
- What is undercutting?
- If the player who did not knock ends up with equal or less deadwood, they score the difference plus a 25-point undercut bonus.
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