Welcome to Skarney Gin!

I’m here to tell you all about this exciting variation of Gin Rummy that was invented by the brilliant John Scarne back in the early 1900s. Skarney Gin brings a new twist to the classic game, with a few special rules that make it even more thrilling.

So, what sets Skarney Gin apart from traditional Gin Rummy? Well, let me explain. In Skarney Gin, players have the opportunity to create a brand new meld, combining cards in unique and strategic ways. You see, Aces can be used as either a low card, played below the 2, or as a high card, played above the King. It’s all about flexibility and thinking outside the box!

But that’s not all! Skarney Gin also spices things up by getting rid of the discard pile. That’s right, there’s no need to worry about what your opponents may be discarding. It adds a whole new level of excitement and unpredictability to the game!

If you’re a fan of Gin Rummy, you’re going to love Skarney Gin. It offers the same familiar gameplay but with a faster pace and a unique twist. The absence of a discard pile really elevates the strategy and keeps you on your toes.

Let’s Talk Cards & Deal

In Skarney Gin, we play with a standard 52-card deck. Now, here’s where things get interesting. As I mentioned before, Aces can be used as either a low card (below the 2) or as a high card (above the King). This adds a whole new layer of possibilities to your gameplay.

But hold on, there’s one important rule to remember. While Aces can swing both ways, they can’t go around the corner. So, you can’t connect a King with an Ace in a meld. It’s a small but crucial detail that can make all the difference in your strategy.

So grab a deck of cards and get ready to enjoy the thrilling world of Skarney Gin! It’s a game that combines the best elements of Rummy with a touch of excitement and a dash of innovation. I guarantee you’re in for a wild ride!

Alright, let’s shuffle the deck and give each player ten cards. The remaining cards will be placed face down as the stock.

THE PLAY

Each player’s turn has three phases: draw, meld, and offer.

DRAW

The player who is not the dealer goes first. They start their turn by drawing a card from the stock and adding it to their hand.

MELD

After drawing a card, the player should take a look at their hand and see if they can make any melds. In this game, there are three types of melds: runs, sets, and pokers.

Runs are when you have three or more cards of the same suit in numerical order. Aces can be placed below the 2 (A,2,3) or above the King (Q,K,A). However, you can’t go around the corner, so the run K,A,2 is not allowed.

Sets are when you have three or four cards of the same rank.

Did you know that there is a special term for a group of cards that don’t have matching suits? It’s called a “poker.” It’s kind of like a straight in the game of poker, where you have three or more cards that are in numerical order.

When I play a game with my friends, we each start with a set of cards that we keep hidden from each other. We can’t show our cards until we have fulfilled a certain requirement called the “contract.” It’s like a rule that we have to follow before we can start playing our cards on the table.

Once I’ve looked at my hand and figured out if I have any “melds” (which are groups of cards that meet certain conditions), it’s time for me to offer a card to my opponent. It’s a way for me to interact with them and see if I can give them a card that will help them make a meld or get closer to meeting the contract.

OFFER

When playing Skarney Gin, there isn’t a discard pile. Instead, you have to offer one of your cards to your opponent. Show them the card and ask, “Do you want this card?” If they say yes, they can take it and add it to their hand. If they decline, you get to keep it. This action ends your turn. It’s important to remember that you can’t offer your last card. If you only have one card left, you can’t offer it.

This gameplay continues until one of the players has met the contract and is ready to place their cards on the table.

CONTRACT

Before I can win, I need to meet the contract. This means I have to create three sets of three cards each. It doesn’t matter what cards I use for the sets. Once I’ve met the contract, I can lay down my nine cards on my turn.

After that, I can create new sets and add cards to the ones I’ve already played. But I can only add cards to my own sets; I can’t add them to my opponent’s sets.

Ending the Game

The only way to end the game is to go Gin. This means I’ve met the contract and played all the cards from my hand onto the table. When my hand is empty, I say,”Gin!” and the game is over.

Using All the Cards

If there are only three cards left in the stock, I can still take my turn and draw the third-to-last card. However, I won’t need to offer a card to my opponent in this scenario. The game will end when I finish forming melds either in my hand or on the table.

SCORING

In this game, Aces are worth 15 points, face cards like Kings, Queens, and Jacks are worth 10 points each, and numbered cards are worth their face value.

If I go Gin, I will earn 25 points plus the number of deadwood points remaining in my opponent’s hand. Deadwood is any card or cards that are not part of a meld.

If we reach a point where there are only two cards left in the stock, the player with the least amount of deadwood points will be declared the winner of that round. They will score points equivalent to the difference between their deadwood points and those of their opponent. Let’s say Player 1 has 21 deadwood points and Player 2 has 7 deadwood points. In this case, Player 2 would win the round and earn 14 points.

TO WIN

The loser of the round will then shuffle and deal the cards for the next round. The game will continue until one player accumulates a total of 200 points or more. The player who reaches or exceeds this point threshold first will be declared the overall winner of the game.