Oklahoma Gin Rummy Rules
Quick answer
Oklahoma gin rummy is gin rummy where the first upcard of each hand sets the knock limit. If it is a 7, you may knock only with 7 or less; a picture card means 10; an ace means you may only go gin. If the upcard is a spade, the hand scores double. Games usually go to 150.
The first upcard decides how low you must go to knock
Deal and play exactly as in regular gin rummy: ten cards each, one card turned face up, the rest as the stock. The only change is that the value of that first face-up card becomes the most deadwood you may knock with for the whole hand.
- A 2 to 9: knock with that many points or less.
- A 10, jack, queen or king: knock with 10 or less, as usual.
- An ace: nobody may knock. The hand ends only with gin.
Knock limit for every upcard
| Upcard | Knock with |
|---|---|
| A | gin only |
| 2 | 2 or less |
| 3 | 3 or less |
| 4 | 4 or less |
| 5 | 5 or less |
| 6 | 6 or less |
| 7 | 7 or less |
| 8 | 8 or less |
| 9 | 9 or less |
| 10 | 10 or less |
| J | 10 or less |
| Q | 10 or less |
| K | 10 or less |
The upcard is taken and played like any other card. The limit stays the same for the whole hand.
Try it: pick an upcard
Try it: what does the upcard allow?
Pick the first upcard. In Oklahoma gin it sets the knock limit for the whole hand.
Knock limit: 7 or less · points doubled
The upcard is the seven of spades. You may knock this hand with 7 or less in unmatched cards. It is a spade, so every point this hand scores is doubled.
The sample hand below has 6 in unmatched cards, so it can knock.
Sample hand (7♠ up)
The sample hand has 6 in unmatched cards. Under Oklahoma rules it could knock only when the upcard is 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K.
A spade upcard doubles everything
If the first upcard is a spade, the hand counts double: the knock points, the gin or undercut bonus, all of it. For example, a knock worth 15 points becomes 30. Spades come up about one hand in four, so these hands swing games.
Extra boxes: some players also give extra box bonuses for gin or an undercut, and more for those on a spade hand. Pagat lists this as optional. Our game doesn't use it.
Play to 150 instead of 100
Because hands can score double, Oklahoma games usually go to 150 points. The winner adds the 100-point game bonus, and each player adds a box bonus for every hand won, just as in regular gin. See how to score gin rummy for a full worked game.
Low upcards make every hand a hunt for gin
- With a low upcard (ace to 4), plan for gin from the start. Keep cards that can join sets and runs, and throw away high cards early.
- With a high upcard, the game feels like regular gin. Knock early if you can.
- On a spade hand, be extra careful about undercuts: they cost double too.
- Take the upcard only if it fits a meld. It is worth as much to your opponent as to you.
If you like Gin Rummy, try
Canasta
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Meld sevens of a kind with your partner. Red threes are a bonus.
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Canasta’s big-family cousin: play your hand, then pick up your foot.
Phase 10 rules
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Rules, the list of all 10 phases and free score sheets.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between gin rummy and Oklahoma gin?
Only the knock limit and the scoring. In regular gin you may always knock with 10 or less. In Oklahoma gin the first upcard sets the limit for that hand, a spade upcard doubles the score, and games usually go to 150.
What happens if the upcard is an ace in Oklahoma gin?
In the most common rule, nobody may knock that hand. You can only end it by going gin. Not every group plays it that way, so agree before you start.
Do face cards mean 10 in Oklahoma gin?
Yes. A jack, queen or king as the upcard means you may knock with 10 or less, the same as regular gin.
What does a spade upcard do in Oklahoma gin?
Everything the hand scores is doubled, including the gin or undercut bonus.
What do you play to in Oklahoma gin?
Usually 150 points instead of 100, because hands score more. The game and box bonuses work as in regular gin.