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Rules

This Player's guide has been prepared to help answer questions you may have about the Tournament rules and regulations.

Learning our rules should be a cinch if you're familiar with the rules of blackjack, poker, and other card-games. The ultimate penalty is disqualification by the Tournament Director. This penalty may be applied in cases of unreasonable delays, carelessness with a deck of cards, or a major breach of decorum. All entrants are subject to approval by the Director, Coordinator, and the Hotel that is hosting the event. The decisions of the Tournament Director shall be final and binding. If you have any questions regarding the rules of the game, do not hesitate to ask the Tournament Director.

The Gin Rummy Association reserves the right to modify all promotions at its own discretion.

Rules for tournament Play
Rules for Partnership Tournament

Scoring:
Singles Tournament
Partnership Tournament
Singles Finals
Consolation Tournament

Rules For Tournament Play

1. Players shall be paired for the first match by drawing.


2. CUT FOR DEAL each new game. LOW card starts first deal and keeps score. Ace is low. Before starting play, be sure to count your cards.


3. DEALER SHUFFLES: Non-dealer may make additional shuffles and then cuts. Dealer may reshuffle and non-dealer may square cut only. That is the end of the action.


4. Each player is dealt 10 cards. The 21st card is turned face up in one slot of the gin rummy tray. The remainder of the deck is placed face down in the other slot. The UP CARD is the knock card and its numerical value determines the number of points with which a hand can be knocked. If the up card is an ACE, the game must be played for gin. Scorer records the up card immediately to avoid later arguments. It is the responsibility of both players to see that the proper up card is recorded. If players disagree as to the up card of the hand in progress, the Tournament Director will tend to ACCEPT the up card as the one RECORDED ON THE SHEET.


5. If a player TOUCHES THE TOP OF EITHER PILE by mistake, he is not forced to take that card.


6. PLAY CONTINUES UNTIL: A player KNOCKS, A player GINS, or Neither player knocks or gins and the FIFTIETH card is drawn from the deck, leaving two cards in the stack. Both players may have action on the 50th card. Use it in your hand or turn it over on the discard pile and knock. If the player who knocks has a point count equal to or higher than his opponent, the opponent wins the hand and receives the difference (if any) in the points, plus a BONUS OF 25 POINTS FOR THE UNDERCUT. The player who gins (lays down his hand with all 10 cards matched) receives an amount equal to his opponent's unmatched point count plus a bonus of 25 points.


7. SCORE CARDS MUST BE SIGNED by the two players in the correct places at the conclusion of each game. Final scores must be shown in the proper column. Game number must be shown also.


8. WRONG NUMBER OF CARDS: If a player has more or less than ten cards: IF DISCOVERED BEFORE ONE PLAY-NEW DEAL. IF BOTH PLAYERS HAVE WRONG NUMBER OF CARDS-NEW DEAL IF ONE PLAYER HAS WRONG NUMBER OF CARDS, AFTER PLAY HAS BEGUN, THE PLAYER WITH THE CORRECT AMOUNT HAS THE OPTION TO LET THE PLAYER CORRECT HIS HAND OR BOTH PLAYERS GETTING A NEW HAND. IF A PLAYER GINS OR KNOCKS AND THE OTHER PLAYER HAS LESS THAN 10 CARDS THE PERSON WHO GINS GETS THE UNMATCHED POINT COUNT PLUS 10 POINTS FOR EACH MISSING CARD. IF A PLAYER HAS MORE THAN 10 CARDS, THE ADDITIONAL CARDS ARE COUNTED BY THEIR NUMERIC VALUE.


9. IMPROPER KNOCK: If a player makes an IMPROPER KNOCK, with his count being higher than the knock card, the hand must then be PLAYED OPEN, ALL TEN CARDS FACE UP. He MUST KNOCK when getting below the knock card. HE CANNOT BE FORCED TO KNOCK BY HIS OPPONENT. When a player makes an illegal knock with more than the knock card count, the opponent may accept the knock as proper, provided his point count is the same as the knock card or lower.(example; the knocking point is 8 and a player knocks with 10 points, the opponent with 8 points or less may accept the knock and get credit for the undercut). The opponent may also lay off points to get under the knock. When a player announces he is ginning or knocking, or calls a number and starts to lay his meld down, he must continue to do so. If his hand is not a gin or his knock is not legal he must play an open hand. The opponent may ask that the cards be spread for proper viewing, but may not touch the cards himself.


10. If a player gins or knocks and TURNS THE WRONG CARD FACE DOWN on the discard pile, he can retrieve the card and rearrange his hand.


11. In DRAWING FROM THE DECK, if the player drawing has seen the next card or cards, that player will lose the use of the card he has seen. If the opponent uses the discard, then the exposed cards are shuffled back in the deck and play resumes. If the player does not use the discard, he has the option on the exposed card. If the player takes the exposed card the play resumes. If he refuses the exposed card then it is placed on the discard pile and he then draws a new card. Play then goes on as usual.


12. The fact that a penalty may or may not be provided for an irregularity does not justify committing one deliberately. The cards should be thoroughly shuffled and no effort should be made to remember the order from previous deals. Do not start to draw before your opponent has discarded. If you have no intention of taking your opponent's discard, do not pretend that you are interested in it. If a player informs the Supervisor that he has played a specific player and in fact HE HAS NOT, he can be CREDITED WITH THE LOSS OF ONE GAME, although the other player is not credited with a win.


13. If a card is taken from the discard pile and placed in your hand, the card can be discarded back into the tray, however, this constitutes a play. Your opponent cannot retake the card unless he uses it to knock.


14. Players can ask for a new deck of cards one time each. The changed deck cannot come back into play.


15. Once a count has been AGREED TO BY THE PLAYERS AND RECORDED BY THE SCORE KEEPER, the hand stands. CARDS SHOULD REMAIN UNSHUFFLED UNTIL THE CORRECT SCORE IS RECORDED.


16. Ten Game winners with games remaining, will sign a 10 game winner sheet and will be paired up, by the director, with the first available 10 game winner.


17. Any 2 players who were not matched by the staff, can both be penalized with a loss of 1 game or eliminated from the contest. If a player has 6 losses, he still can have a chance to make the finals with a 10-6 record.

Note: 18 PER CENT OF THE ENTRY FEE IS TAKEN OUT FOR THE FOLLOWING ADMINISTRATION FEE AND COVERS ADVERTISING, BROCHURES, POSTAGE, STATIONARY, OFFICE SUPPLIES, PHONE CALLS, CHARTS, TRAYS, STAFF, COMPUTER, INTERNET, WEB SITE, TRAVEL, AWARDS, AND DISCOUNTS.

Partnership Tournament Rules

1. 250 Point Games


2. 5 Matches only


3. 8 Teams in Finals


4. To begin play, cut for deal each new game. Low card team deals and keeps score.


5. Score cards must be signed by one of the team members.


6. Teams sit side by side.


7. Dealer Deals opponent eleven cards. A center deck is used to determine the knock card.


8. The team that lost the points deals the next hand.


9. No Bonus for Boxes, Blitzes, or Spades.


10. Each team should try to play in unison..If you see you are going to have a problem discarding, please say “Hold it, it’s my play”. If you don’t , your opponent may tell his partner to wait until you discard.


11. If you lose your hand, you do not have to give a count until the player on the other team has 10 cards in his hand.


12. When one of the partners hand is complete, the person who won the hand, or the player who lost the hand can give a count of both teams score only at that time. However, a person playing a hand can ask the score or count at any time.


13. Players cannot consult during play of hand. No help can be given to rearrange hand , however, a partner can help with layoffs.


14. If a team loses a hand, they can change seats.

Partnership Tournament

Captain plays Captain
All Games play to 250 Points
Teams Play 5 Games

Singles Tournament

All Games play to 200 Points
8 Games First Day
8 Games Second Day

Singles Finals

250 Point Games
300 Point Games

Consolation Tournament

All Games play to 200 Points
Finals - 250 Point Games

All seats and tables will be assigned after registration. A player must play only at his assigned table and seat. All decisions of the rules committee are final. Anyone found to be playing in an unethical manner may be eliminated from the tournament. We will provide a partner if you do not have one.