THE BIGGEST PLAYING CARD GAME: GIN RUMMY
Posted by fradric on October 8, 2007
You may have observed that at no time did I pick up a discard of my opponent’s for the sole purpose of speculating. With one exception only, I steadfastly picked up discards to complete a spread. The one exception was a low value turn-up card I accepted that fitted nicely with other low value combinations in my hand and had further merit as a possible knocking card. This pick-up was therefore only partially speculative, since it served a dual purpose.
This does not imply that no situations exist where it is justifiable to speculate. There are isolated cases where it can be a good move, but it should never become a habit for your general method of play. Occasionally you may calculate that a speculative card will be the wedge for a quick knock. Or you may pick one up just to befuddle your opposition, perhaps even to discard it a few plays later. These are very rare and special situations, and this tactic should be discouraged unless you’re riding high in the driver’s seat and feel you can afford to play bolder than is customary.
Perhapsyou have noticed something else in the progression of this game: The five-card spread is something that may be useful in a high knock hand, but it can often prove a disadvantage in a low knock game, because if you end up with a five-card and a three-card meld, that still leaves you with two unmatched cards; and in a low knock game you usually have to rid yourself of all but one unmatched card in order to knock. Five-card melds can be helpful if you are developing a possible second meld at either end of them, which also provides you with safe discards in case the second meld doesn’t materialize.
A common mistake made by inexperienced players is to regard a card as untouchable once it becomes part of a meld. Yet several times in the game just concluded a card was thrown from an existing meld (generally it was from a four- or five-card spread, but sometimes it is the correct move even if it breaks up a three-card meld).
The variety of situations that can come up in gin rummy is almost unlimited. This demonstration game covered a wide diversity of plays and playing strategy, but even some fairly common occurrences failed to arise.
Asan example, there is one play which an advanced player will sometimes make to avert a layoff. Assume a knock card of 8. The player has just drawn a card and now holds the 5-6-7-8 of diamonds, three lOs, and an unmatched Ace, two deuces, and a 3. Normally he would turn down the 3 and knock with 5 points. Let us say, however, that he knows his opponent has the 9 of diamonds as a layoff. The sophisticated player will turn down the 8 of diamonds, precluding the layoff, and knock with 8 points. Even though he is knocking at a higher level, he has managed to change the 9 of diamonds from an asset to a liability in his opponent’s hand and has definitely protected himself against an undercut.
While this game encompassed only a small percentage of the specific situations you will encounter in playing gin rummy, it did embrace most of the basic principles of good play that should be applied to any situation that arises. If you have absorbed these principles, you have taken a giant step toward becoming an expert gin rummy player. If you have the self-discipline to stick to these principles when you play gin rummy tomorrow, or next week, or a month from now, or two years from now—you’re eligible to join the ranks of the experts.
Gin rummy is not a game you grow tired of, and this is especially true if you are constantly improving your game. No wonder that for many years gin rummy has been unchallenged for the number one place as the most popular card game in the world.
