Red Hot Tips Continued... Gin rummy is a skill-based card game played with ten cards that you can play for money against a mixture of ageing veterans and utter fish.   Sound like a profitable enterprise?   Damn right.   So how do you go about cashing in?   Here we are looking at the version of the game where you aim to be the first to score 100 points.   This game is a mixture of aggression and caution.   In other words, you have to pay as much attention to what your opponent is doing as to your own play. But how can I know what my opponent is doing if he doesn’t show me his cards? By paying close attention to what he throws away and comparing it with the cards in your own hand.   As a simple example, if he has discarded the 2 ? and the 2 ? and you hold 3 ?, 4 ? , 5 ? , 6 ? , then discarding the 2: should be pretty safe. So what should I avoid throwing away? A simple strategy is to not throw away cards whose value is unknown to you.   For example, don’t throw away a 3 ?: when you have seen no other three and no 4 ? or 2 ? .   Also, remember low-ranking cards are not to be given away lightly.   If your opponent ‘knocks’ (ends the game) before you do and you’re stuck with a hand full of high cards you are in serious trouble. Try to get rid of high cards before the deck is too far down. But I’m not going to win the game by just playing defensively, am I? No. That’s why you also need to pay attention to your own cards.   Look for combinations of cards with several outs – giving you different options to make sets. A ? - 2 ? or Q ? - J ? are considerably less valuable than 4 ? - 5 ? or 10 ? - 9 ? as the previous sets can only be completed in one direction.   The best combinations to hold are those giving the alternative of collecting three of a kind such as 10 ? , 9 ? , 9 ?. Okay. I’m a bit confused. You want me to play offensively and defensively? Yes, that’s exactly what you should be aiming to do.   Try to collect cards that complete your hand as quickly as possible – but remember to pay very close attention to what your opponent picks up and throws away.   Knowing he is collecting 10s when a 10 would make a set for you or when you were thinking of discarding a 10 is vital.   Pay attention – and remember situations can change quickly.   He may decide to abandon collecting 10s at some point, so don’t get stuck in any pattern for too long. And don’t forget the secret other set. What the hell is the secret set? Don’t forget that you can knock if your unused cards add up to less than ten – so by collecting seemingly unconnected low cards you can still sometimes knock early.   So ignore that 2 ? at your peril.   Gin rummy is a game that moves notoriously quickly so don’t get caught in the novice’s trap of waiting for a specific hand.   Be ready for it to end at any time. And remember – in gin rummy, the low cards are your friends!