Gin Rummy Observation

Observation

One player in the West Coast money crowd likes to arrange to stand behind any potential opponent and size up his style of play. He wants to know whether the man is methodical, whether he speculates rashly or well, whether he tries for a knock hand instead of Gin Rummy, whether he gets nervous under the baleful glare of a fistful of high cards, how he talks when the cards are running with him and when they're against him. Card players, like everyone else, tend to be creatures of habit. They react, often unconsciously, to their circumstances. Many players will clam up when they have a bad hand and talk it up when they catch a good one. The vast majority of players are methodical, no matter how they try to mix up their styles. And method can be observed and learned.

Master Of Game

The most dangerous player is the man who has mastered in mathematics of his game, the man who plays what I call the two-way hand-one that enables him to go gin with a pick of one or two cards or to knock with a pick of one or two others. Each hand at Rummy is a new hand. I can't tell you what cards to hold. I can't tell you in ABC fashion how to play them all. Anything can happen, and you must be prepared to make the best of things as they are. That's the game.

Ten General Rules to Win Gin Rummy

1. Be sure you know the Gin Rummy Rules. The player who knows the rules has a decided advantage against a player who is vague about them.

2. Try to avoid mechanical errors by arranging your hand in an orderly fashion.

3. Try to get on the score sheet as quickly as possible.

4. Expect your opponent's first two discards to be bait.

5. Observe your opponents. Learn their Gin Rummy mannerisms and rules. Are they speculators? Do they play for gin rather than knock hand? Avoid Gin giveaway mannerisms of your own.

6. Rather than discard a live card, chance adding it to your opponent’s discard.

7. When you're in a losing streak, don't let yourself get panicky. An excited Gin player is a player at his worst.

8. Try to sit with your back to the wall and try to avoid kibitzers who watch your hand. Many good Gin hands are tipped off by actions of onlookers.When tempted to speculate, do so with a poor hand, don’t with a good hand. Toward the end of the game, play the score or try to keep under and prevent your opponent from winning the game that hand.