Things You'll Need:
- Deck of cards
- At least one opponent
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Step 1
Know the goals. In 7-card Gin (multiplayer), the goal is one 3-card meld and one 4-card meld. In 10-card Gin (two player), the goal is two 3-card melds and one 4-card meld. All you have to do is complete your goal before anyone else.
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Step 2
Know what your opponent wants. There are only two reasons someone picks up a discarded card: To put in a run or to put in an of-a-kind. If your opponent picks up a four of spades, she either is collecting fours or is making a run in low spades.
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Step 3
Play defensively. If your opponent cannot fill out his final meld, you will win. This means that even if picking up a certain discarded card would put you close to winning, if doing so requires discarding a card your opponent needs, it generally isn't worth it.
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Step 4
Use logic to determine safe discards. If your opponent has drawn a four of spades and discarded a four of diamonds, then she's likely not collecting fours. Throw away your unwanted four of clubs with impunity. However, if she still has the four of spades, then you'd best keep that five of spades in your hand.
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Step 5
Know the odds. It's easier to get a pair than to get two cards in a row. Getting three in a row or three of a kind has the same odds. But if you're searching for that elusive four-meld, finishing a straight is twice as easy as completing that four-of-a-kind.
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Step 6
Be stubborn in two-player games and flexible in multi-player. In a two player game, if each player is holding a pair of kings, the first person to discard one gives the other player three of a kind. In a three player game, cards you need may be buried, so don't be afraid to throw away the almost-completed meld you've been sitting on.
