Oklahoma Gin is played with a standard 52 card deck. Aces are always low. Face cards have a rank value of 10. All other cards are ranked according to their numerical value. Suits are all ranked equally.

As in Gin Rummy, a “set” is a meld of three or four cards of identical rank. A “run” is a meld of at least three cards in sequential order and in the same suit. “Deadwood” is the term used to describe the unmatched cards in the player’s hand.

If there are two contestants, each player is dealt 10 cards. If there are more than two players, each player receives 7 cards. The dealer of the first hand is selected randomly. After the first hand, the winner of the previous hand is always the dealer. After the dealer has dealt each player the correct number of cards, the dealer turns one more card and begins the discard pile. This card is known as the “Knock” card and determines the maximum amount a player can knock for in that hand. So, if there are three players and the dealer deals each player seven cards, the 22nd card is turned and becomes the knock card. If that card is 6, any player can knock during the hand when their deadwood total is 6 or less points.

In Oklahoma Gin, there are three ways to win a hand. A player can Gin, knock or win by undercutting the knocker. To Gin, a player must draw a card from either the stock or discard pile, create melds for all cards in the hand and then declare Gin by turning the discard face down on the table. There are no unmatched cards in a Gin hand. The player then lays the melds face up on the table. When a player goes Gin, no other player can reduce their deadwood by laying off cards on the Gin hand or any other hand. The players then lay their melds down and total their deadwood.

When a player goes Gin, that player receives 25 points. The defeated players receive negative values equal to the amount of their deadwood. These scores are recorded on the score sheet. If a player is left with a queen, ace, two when another player goes Gin, that player’s deadwood total is 13 and his score for the hand is -13.

A player who decides to Knock is known as the Knocker. The player must draw a card from either the stock or discard pile and declare his intention to Knock by turning down one card and laying his melds face up on the table and his deadwood face up on the table. As described, the deadwood must be equal to or lower than the rank value of the first card turned by the dealer. Once a player Knocks, other players show their melds. These players can play cards from their deadwood to the Knocker’s original melds.

When a player knocks, that player receives a bonus of 10 points. The other players receive a negative score equal to the total of their deadwood less the amount of the knock.

The third way to win a hand of Oklahoma Gin is by “undercutting” the Knocker. When a player Knocks, he has declared a knock value equal to the total of his deadwood. If another player has a deadwood total equal to or lower than the Knock amount, that player has undercut the Knocker. This amount can be determined after a player has played off on the Knocker’s melds. The player who undercuts the Knocker receives a bonus of 20 points. Other players receive a negative score equal to the amount of the difference between their deadwood total and the amount of the undercut.

Game limits are set in advance but typically a game ends when a player scores 100 points. In some versions of Oklahoma Gin, the bonus amounts for Gin and the Undercut may vary. Players should make sure they understand all the table stakes and values prior to play.

Oklahoma Gin is a popular game with great strategy. Unlike Gin Rummy, Oklahoma Gin focuses on what the player wins rather than on what the player may lose. Watch out for the undercuts in Oklahoma Gin!