Knock Rummy
What Is Knock Rummy?
Knock Rummy is a rummy game for two to six players where you can end the round at any time by knocking — even if your hand is not completely melded. When you knock, everyone reveals their hands and the player with the lowest unmatched card total wins. But if any opponent has equal or lower unmatched cards than you after laying off on your melds, they win and you pay a penalty. It is a game of timing — knock too early and get undercut, wait too long and someone else knocks first.
What You Need
- One standard deck of 52 playing cards
- Two to six players
- Score pad or chips
Card Values
- Aces: 1 point
- Face cards (King, Queen, Jack): 10 points each
- Number cards 2 through 10: face value
What Is Deadwood?
Deadwood is the term for unmatched cards — cards in your hand that do not belong to any valid meld. A meld is either a set (three or more of the same rank) or a run (three or more consecutive cards of the same suit). Your deadwood total is the sum of your unmatched cards’ values. Lower deadwood = better position.
Setting Up the Game
- Shuffle all 52 cards.
- Deal cards face-down: 10 cards each for two players; 7 cards each for three or four; 6 cards each for five or six.
- Place remaining cards face-down as the Stock. Flip one card face-up to start the Discard pile.
- Players look at their cards and organize them mentally.
How to Play — Step by Step
The player to the left of the dealer goes first. Play moves clockwise.
- Draw one card from the Stock or the top of the Discard pile.
- Arrange your hand — find your best melds and calculate your current deadwood total.
- Choose: continue playing (discard one card) or knock.
How to Knock
When you want to end the round, discard your final card face-DOWN instead of face-up. This signals a knock. Then:
- Spread your hand face-up on the table. Separate your melds from your deadwood clearly.
- All other players reveal their hands and organize their best melds.
- Other players may lay off their deadwood cards onto YOUR melds — but not onto each other’s. For example, if you have a set of three 8s, an opponent can add their 8 to it, reducing their deadwood.
- After lay-offs, count every player’s remaining deadwood.
Determining the Winner
- You win: Your deadwood is lower than every opponent’s after lay-offs. Score the difference between your deadwood and each opponent’s deadwood.
- Undercut: Any opponent’s deadwood (after laying off) is equal to or less than yours. That opponent wins and scores the difference plus a 10-point bonus. You score nothing.
- Going Gin: If you have zero deadwood — all ten cards in melds — call Gin instead of knocking. No lay-offs allowed. You score all opponents’ deadwood totals plus a 25-point bonus.
Winning
First player to reach 100 points wins the game.
Tips for New Players
- Knock when your deadwood is 10 points or fewer — waiting longer gives opponents time to improve their hands.
- Watch what your opponents draw from the Discard pile — it reveals which melds they are building and what cards to avoid discarding.
- Going Gin is the best possible result — if you are close to zero deadwood, hold on for the big bonus rather than knocking early.