What is Oklahoma Gin?
In the standard game here you may knock once the unmatched cards in your hand, your deadwood, count 10 or less, in every hand.
In Oklahoma Gin the knock limit changes from deal to deal. The card turned face up after the deal, the upcard that starts the discard pile, sets it. A number card allows you to knock with deadwood up to its value: on a Four you need 4 or less, on a Nine 9 or less. A Jack, Queen or King allows 10, as in the standard game. An Ace allows no knocking at all, so the hand can only end in gin.
The limit is fixed for the whole hand, even after somebody has taken the upcard. If the upcard is a spade, the hand counts double: whoever wins it scores twice the usual points, gin and undercut bonuses included.
Rule changes
| Rule | Standard Gin Rummy | Oklahoma Gin |
|---|---|---|
| Knock limit | Standard Gin Rummy10 in every hand. | Oklahoma GinThe value of the first upcard: 2 to 10 for the number cards. |
| Jack, Queen or King upcard | Standard Gin RummyNo effect. | Oklahoma GinA knock limit of 10, the same as the standard game. |
| Ace upcard | Standard Gin RummyNo effect. | Oklahoma GinKnocking is not allowed: the hand ends only on gin, or when the stock is down to two cards. |
| After the upcard is taken | Standard Gin RummyNothing changes. | Oklahoma GinThe limit stays the same until the end of the hand. |
| Spade upcard | Standard Gin RummyNo effect. | Oklahoma GinEvery point scored in the hand counts double, including the 25-point gin or undercut bonus. |
| End of the stock | Standard Gin RummyWhen the stock runs out, the discard pile except its top card is shuffled into a new stock. | Oklahoma GinThe last two cards of the stock can't be drawn. A discard that leaves two cards in the stock ends the hand with no score: a draw in a one-hand game, a new deal by the same dealer in a longer game. |
| Other options | Standard Gin RummyStraight Gin, a game to 100 or 250 points and Hollywood scoring can be chosen. | Oklahoma GinOklahoma rules replace Straight Gin, since both decide when you may knock. They can be played as one hand, as a game to 100 or 250 points, or with Hollywood scoring. |
History
Oklahoma gin is a variant of gin rummy in which the value of the first upcard sets the highest count at which players can knock, and in which a hand counts double when the upcard is a spade. The doubled score includes any undercut or gin bonus.
Rule sets differ on the Ace. Some players allow only gin when an ace is turned up, and some rule sets make it the rule: on an ace upcard a player can never knock and can only win the hand by going gin. That is the rule played here. No account explains where the name Oklahoma comes from.