Oklahoma Rummy, also referred to as Oklahoma Gin, is the second most popular variation of Rummy card games in the world, taking a back seat only to its cousin Gin Rummy. In fact, there is very little difference between the two games aside from the amount of Deadwood a player may end with; determined by the first face-up card played in the Discard Pile, rather than a preset total of 10 or less.

Oklahoma Rummy Rules – Objective

The object of Oklahoma Rummy is to either run completely out of cards, or finish with a low enough Deadwood score in your hand to Knock (Go Out). This is done by Melding Sets and Runs, and Building on the Sets/Runs of other players. The first player to Knock wins the hand, and score is calculated. When one player reaches the goal score, usually after a series of hands, they are declared the winner and the game is over.

Oklahoma Rummy Rules – Useful Terms

In order to play Oklahoma Rummy, you must be familiar with the following terms and definitions.

The following terms and definitions will help you to learn how to play Oklahoma Rummy.

Set: Sets are Melds that contain 3 or more cards of the same value, like 5-5-5 and K-K-K-K.

Run: Runs are Melds that consist of a numerical sequence of cards all made up of the same suit, like 3h-4h-5h-6h.

Meld: Meld is the term given to all Sets and Runs. The process of playing Sets and Runs is called Melding.

Building: So long as you have already Melded, you are able to build on the Melds of your opponents. Building is when you add relevant cards to other Melds, such as adding a 4 to a Set of 4, or adding the Jc to a run of 7c-8c-9c-Tc.

Deadwood: When a player Knocks, the Deadwood is all cards left in his/her hand. According to Oklahoma Rummy rules, a player must have a low enough Deadwood point value in order to Knock.

Knock: When a player has a low enough amount of Deadwood in his/her hand, they are able to Knock, placing all Deadwood face up on the Discard Pile, thus ending the hand. In Oklahoma Rummy, a player may only Knock when his Deadwood is equal to, or lower than, the first card placed on the Discard Pile during the deal phase.

Laying Off: When a player Knocks, all other players are allowed to Lay Off. This means they can Meld any Sets or runs in their hand, and Build on the Melds of other players, before score is calculated.

Going Gin: This is where Oklahoma rummy is sometimes referred to as Oklahoma Gin. A player Goes Gin when they run completely out of cards by Melding/Building them all, rather than discarding Deadwood. When a player goes gin, they do not Knock, therefore there is no Lay Off phase.

Oklahoma Rummy Rules – Game Play

Oklahoma Rummy is played by 2-4 players with a single deck of 52 cards. All players first draw one card, and the highest card determines the first player to deal. He will shuffle, cut and deal 10 cards to each player. He then places the next card face up to start the Discard Pile. This card is crucial, as its point value determines the amount a Deadwood a player may Knock with. If this card is a Spade, all score is doubled at the end of the hand. The remaining cards are placed face down as the Draw Pile.

Starting left of the dealer, each player takes turns playing. A play begins as the player takes a card from the top of the Draw Pile, or the Discard Pile. He may then Meld or build on other player’s Melds. The play ends when he discards one card on the Discard Pile.

When a player Knocks, the game ends. All other players may Lay Off before score is calculated. If the winner Goes Gin, there is no Lay Off phase. All score is immediately calculated.

Oklahoma Rummy Rules – Scoring & Winning

After the Lay Off phase, if any, all cards that remain in each players hand are added up by the point value chart below. The total of these points is added to the winner’s score.
Aces = 11 points
10s and Face Cards = 10 points
2 – 9 = Face Value

When calculating score, remember that if the first card placed on the Discard Pile was a Spade, all point values are doubled!

If a player Goes Gin, they are awarded a bonus Score of 25 points.

Undercutting: This occurs when the Knocking player’s Deadwood is higher than the Deadwood of an opponent. If this happens, the winner is awarded a Bonus Score of 10 points.

Just winning a hand does not end the game of Oklahoma Rummy. A complete game usually consists of multiple hands. Before the game ever begins, all players agree upon a goal score. The first player to reach the goal score is the winner of Oklahoma Rummy!