Gin Rummy Glossary
The following are a few of unique words and phrases used in playing Gin Rummy (see also: general Rummy glossary):
- Advertising
- To discard a card in order to induce an opponent to discard another card of the same rank or in suit and sequence with it. Also known as "baiting", "chumming", "fishing".
- Angling
- Discarding a card to induce your opponent to discard a card one rank away. Also known as "sideways fishing" or "side baiting".
- Baiting
- (See "Advertising")
- Blitz
- To win a game without the opponent having scored. (See "Shutout").
- Block
- To withhold a card that would extend a meld for an opponent.
- Box
- Each entry on the score sheet is known as a box.
- Box Score
- The score for winning a deal.
- Breaking Pairs
- To discard a card while holding another card of the same rank (also known as "Splitting Pairs").
- Catch
- To get a particular card or hand.
- Captain
- When playing Chouette Gin Rummy, the captain is the leader of the partnership, and is responsible for handling the cards and making final decisions for the partnership.
- Chouette
- A method for more than two people playing a two-person game. One technique for playing Gin Rummy for Three.
- Combination
- Two cards that will become a meld by addition of a suitable third card.
- Count
- The number of points of deadwood in a hand.
- Cutthroat
- A method for playing Gin Rummy for Three.
- Deadwood
- Unmatched cards in hand.
- Game Bonus
- Bonus points awarded to the winner of a game, usually 100 points.
- Gin Hand
- One with no unmatched cards (no deadwood).
- Go Down
- Lay down a hand after having knocked or gone gin.
- Go Gin
- Lay down a gin hand; go rummy.
- Gut Card
- A card which completes a broken sequence.
- Hollywood
- The method of scoring Gin Rummy where three games between two players are scored concurrently.
- Knock
- End the play by placing the remainder of one’s cards face up on the table; go down.
- Knock Cache
- The cards in a player's hand which together sum no more than the knock card. The player can knock with these cards unmatched.
- Line Score
- Same as "box score".
- Man in the Box
- When playing Chouette Gin Rummy, the man in the box plays solo against the partnership.
- No-Brainer
- A hand that can be knocked or ginned quickly and requires little skill.
- Oklahoma
- A Gin Rummy variation in which the upcard determines the knocking count. (See Oklahoma Gin.)
- Ragpicker
- A player who frequently picks up low-value cards, merely to reduce their point count.
- Reducer
- Any low card picked or held to reduce the deadwood count in a hand.
- Round-the-Corner
- A Gin Rummy variation in which aces can rank high or low, and sequences can wrap around from high to low ranks. (See Round-the-Corner Gin.) Also known as "Round-the-Horn" Gin.
- Safe Card
- A discard which your opponent is unlikely to be able to use.
- Shutout
- Winning of a game in which the opponent has scored not a single point. All points for the game count double.
- Speculate
- To draw a discard which may produce a meld at a later time.
- Splitting Pairs
- To discard a card while holding another card of the same rank (also known as "Breaking Pairs").
- Strangers
- Unrelated cards in a hand.
- Triangle
- A group of cards containing two cards of the same rank and a third card of one of two suits. A triangle provides the maximum chances to draw a card to make a meld.
- Undercut
- To reduce one's deadwood to the same or lesser count than the knocker's.
- Undercut Bonus
- Points awarded to an undercutter in addition to the net difference in their deadwood points.
- Unload
- To discard high-ranking cards to reduce your point count.
