The basics

-Number of players: Two or more

-Playing time: 20 minutes

-Cards: A standard deck of 52 cards

-Card Values:

Face cards = 10 points

Ace = 1 point

All other cards = face value

Important terms

Melds

Melds are comprised of a sequence of cards according to suit or rank. A minimum of three cards in rank or suit is required to be considered a complete meld.

Examples of Melds

4-4-4, 6-6-6-6 or 8-9-10-J of same suit (2-A-K is not allowed)

Unmatched cards

Any cards that are not part of a meld

Knocking

A player can end a round of play by “knocking” if his unmatched cards add up to less than 10 points.

Going gin

A player goes gin when he has formed all the cards in his hand into melds and has no unmatched cards.

Stock pile

The pile from which players can draw if they do not want the last card in the discard pile.

Discard pile

The pile onto which players discard unwanted cards from their hand and from which they can pick up a card previously discarded by their opponent (if they want). Only the top card of the discard pile is available for play. Everything underneath is dead.

Object of the game

The object of the game of Knock Rummy is to be the first player to reach a predetermined score by forming melds and scoring points.

Scoring Rules

Scoring is the same as in Gin Rummy. After one player knocks, the other players add up the value of their unmatched cards remaining in their respective hands. The player with the lowest total of unmatched cards collects—from all other hands—the difference between his hand and each opponent’s hand.

The player with the lowest total of unmatched cards, if he is not the knocker, also takes an extra 10 points away from the knocker (20 points in some versions).

If the knocker has the lowest value of unmatched cards, then no points are scored. If someone has an equal value of unmatched cards as the knocker, then that player still collects from the other players, but the knocker neither relinquishes nor collects any points in relation to the unmatched cards. If two or more players (other than the knocker) tie for low score, all players divide the winnings.

A player “goes rum” when he knocks with all his cards formed into sets (with no unmatched cards remaining). When this happens, the knocker scores 25 points from each player in addition to the points in his hand. A hand that goes rum cannot be tied. If a player notices he has “gone rum” after someone knocks, then that player must pay the knocker an additional 25 points.

Play

Knock Rummy is basically Gin Rummy with more than two players. It is played with a standard 52-card deck and the cards rank the same as they do in Rummy—Aces are low. If playing with two people, each player gets 10 cards. If playing with more than two people, each player gets 7 cards.

In Knock Rummy, players draw and discard the same way they would in Gin Rummy. When a player knocks, points are added up and play is over. A player may knock at any time during the game.