Scoring in Gin Rummy happens in two stages: hand scoring (after every knock or Gin) and end-game scoring (once a player reaches 100 cumulative points). This guide covers both clearly, with worked examples.
Hand Scoring: After Every Knock
Step 1: The Knocker Lays Down
After knocking (placing the final discard face down), the knocker spreads all 10 remaining cards face up, clearly organized into:
- Melds — valid sets and runs, grouped together
- Deadwood — unmatched cards displayed separately
Count the point values of the deadwood cards:
| Card | Deadwood Points |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 point |
| 2 through 9 | Face value (2–9 points) |
| 10, Jack, Queen, King | 10 points each |
Example: Knocker’s deadwood = 4♠ (4 pts) + 3♥ (3 pts) = 7 points
Step 2: Non-Knocker Lays Down and Lays Off
The non-knocking player reveals their hand. They may lay off deadwood cards onto the knocker’s exposed melds before their deadwood is counted.
Lay-off rules:
- Add cards to the knocker’s sets (e.g., add a fourth card to a three-card set)
- Extend the knocker’s runs from either end
- Cannot create new melds — only extend the knocker’s existing ones
Example: The knocker laid down the run 5♣ 6♣ 7♣. The non-knocker holds 4♣ and 8♣ in their deadwood. They lay off both cards (saving 4 + 8 = 12 points from their deadwood total).
Note: Lay-offs are only allowed after a regular knock. After Gin, no lay-offs are permitted.
Step 3: Count Both Players’ Remaining Deadwood
After all lay-offs are complete, count each player’s remaining unmatched cards.
Continued example:
- Knocker deadwood: 7 points
- Non-knocker’s original deadwood: 31 points
- Non-knocker laid off 4♣ (4) + 8♣ (8) = 12 points saved
- Non-knocker remaining deadwood: 31 − 12 = 19 points
Step 4: Determine the Winner and Points
There are three possible outcomes:
Outcome A: Regular Knock Win
Condition: Knocker’s deadwood < Opponent’s deadwood
Score: Knocker earns the difference between both players’ deadwood.
Knocker: 7 pts. Opponent: 19 pts. Knocker scores: 19 − 7 = 12 points
No bonus for a regular knock. The score is simply the deadwood difference.
Outcome B: Undercut
Condition: Opponent’s deadwood ≤ Knocker’s deadwood (after lay-offs)
When the non-knocker ends up with equal or fewer deadwood points, the knocker is undercut. The knocker loses the hand despite having knocked.
Score: Opponent earns the difference plus a 25-point undercut bonus.
Knocker: 9 pts. Opponent (after lay-offs): 7 pts. Opponent scores: (9 − 7) + 25 = 27 points
If deadwood is exactly equal (a tie), the opponent still wins the undercut bonus:
Knocker: 8 pts. Opponent: 8 pts. Opponent scores: 0 + 25 = 25 points
The undercut bonus makes knocking with borderline deadwood (8–10 points) risky. See When to Knock for guidance.
Outcome C: Gin
Condition: Knocker has zero deadwood
Going Gin earns the best outcome:
Score: Knocker earns the opponent’s full deadwood (no lay-offs allowed) plus a 25-point Gin bonus.
Opponent’s deadwood: 22 points. Knocker (Gin) scores: 22 + 25 = 47 points
Since no lay-offs are allowed after Gin, the opponent must count every unmatched card — they can’t reduce their deadwood at all.
Quick Reference: Hand Scoring
| Situation | Who Wins | Points Scored |
|---|---|---|
| Regular knock (knocker < opponent) | Knocker | Difference in deadwood |
| Undercut (opponent ≤ knocker) | Opponent | Difference + 25 bonus |
| Exact tie (equal deadwood) | Opponent | 0 difference + 25 bonus |
| Gin (knocker = 0 deadwood) | Knocker | Opponent’s deadwood + 25 bonus |
Step 5: Record the Score
Add the hand score to the winner’s running total. The loser adds nothing.
A standard score sheet tracks each player’s cumulative total hand by hand. If either player reaches 100 points, the game is over — proceed to end-game scoring.
End-Game Scoring
Once a player’s cumulative hand total reaches 100 points, the game ends. Three bonus categories are then calculated:
Game Bonus
The player who reached 100 first (the game winner) earns a 100-point game bonus, regardless of the margin.
Game winner running total: 108 points + 100 game bonus = 208 points (before other bonuses)
Box Bonus (Line Bonus)
Count how many individual hands the game winner won throughout the game. Award 25 points per hand won.
Game winner won 7 hands throughout the game. Box bonus: 7 × 25 = 175 points
Note: The box bonus is calculated only for the game winner. The loser does not receive box bonus points even if they won some hands.
Shutout Bonus
If the loser won zero hands in the entire game, it’s a shutout (also called a skunk or schneider in some regions). The game bonus doubles:
Normal game bonus: 100 points → Shutout game bonus: 200 points
The box bonus still applies normally even in a shutout.
Final Score Calculation
Final Score = Hand Total + Game Bonus (+ Shutout upgrade) + Box Bonus
Example:
- Player A (winner) hand total: 112 points
- Player A won 8 hands
- Player B won 3 hands (not a shutout)
Player A final score:
112 (hand total) + 100 (game bonus) + 8×25 (box bonus) = 112 + 100 + 200 = 412 points
Player B final score:
84 (hand total) + 0 (game bonus) + 0 (box bonus) = 84 points
Margin of victory: 412 − 84 = 328 points
Worked Example: A Complete Hand
Setup: Player A knocks.
Player A’s hand:
- Meld: Q♥ Q♠ Q♦ (set of Queens)
- Meld: 3♣ 4♣ 5♣ (run)
- Deadwood: 6♥ (6) + 2♠ (2) = 8 points deadwood
Player B’s hand:
- Meld: 9♥ 10♥ J♥ (run)
- Deadwood: K♠ (10) + 8♦ (8) + 7♣ (7) + A♦ (1) = 26 points deadwood
- Player B can lay off 6♣ onto Player A’s 3♣ 4♣ 5♣ run? No — Player B holds 6♥, not 6♣. No valid lay-offs.
Result:
- Player A: 8 deadwood
- Player B: 26 deadwood (no lay-offs)
- Player A wins: 26 − 8 = 18 points
Score Sheet
Keeping an accurate score sheet prevents disputes and lets both players track the game. See our Gin Rummy Score Sheet for a free printable template and instructions for filling it in.
Next Steps
- Scoring Overview — Gin bonus, undercut, box bonus, and shutout explained in depth
- When to Knock — Strategy guide for knock timing and risk management
- Full Beginner’s Guide — The complete game from start to finish