Gin Rummy Variations

The rules of play rarely change in gin rummy, but there are a few variations in how the game is scored.

In Oklahoma gin, the value of the first upcard determines the point value that you must reach before you can knock. For example, if the upcard is a , then you can’t knock unless you have 5 or fewer points.

Hollywood gin uses a scoring system in which players essentially play three games simul-taneously. The first time a player scores, the points he receives count toward the first game. The second time he scores, the point total counts as the first score of the second game and second score of the first game. The third time he scores, the point total counts as the third score of the first game, the second of the second game, and the first of the third game. The three games end at different times, and play is not finished until all three games are complete.

To keep score in Hollywood gin, create a table with three scoring columns for each player. The sample table below shows a game in which player A scores a 12, 7, 9, 14, and 6, while player B scores a 4, 12, 8, 25, and 3.

Scoring continues in this fashion until each game reaches 100.