Ginny-O
Ginny-O Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Equipment
- For 2 to 4 players. Ages 8 to Adult.
- Playing Board
- 2 Sets of Tiles
- 4 Tile Racks
Each set of tiles represents a full deck of cards plus two jokers. There are two sets of tiles with the colour of one set darker than the other. For two players use only one set of tiles, ensuring that they are all of the same colouring. For 3 or 4 players, use both sets of tiles.
Object
To score as many points as possible by playing tiles to the board to form gin rummy melds.
A meld can be a group of three or four tiles of the same rank, each a different suit, e.g. 5 ♥, 5 ♦, 5 ♠.
OR
A sequence of three or more tiles of the same suit, e.g. 8 ♦, 9 ♦, 10 ♦. Ace can be either high or low, e.g. A, 2, 3, or Q, K, A. A sequence can be played in either direction, e.g. J, Q, K, A or A, K, 10, J.
To Begin
Place all the tiles face down in the box lid and mix them well. Each player draws one tile. The player holding the tile of the highest value will have the first turn. Return the tiles face down and mix them again.
Each player draws seven tiles and places them on his rack.
The Play
At the beginning of each turn players draw one tile from the face-down pile. If the player cannot make a play to the board he discards any one of his tiles face down. The pile is mixed and the next player takes his turn.
If the player can make a play to the board, he may do so. Each player may only make one play per turn. He then draws new tiles to replace those played and enters his score on the scoresheet. His turn is over.
Note: At the end of each turn each player should have seven tiles.
A player may use his turn to replace any or all of his tiles. This counts as a missed turn and scores zero.
The first play of the game must be made to the centre red start square and must be a meld. Any tile from the initial meld may be placed over the centre square. Until the initial meld is played, each player will draw and discard.
Once the first meld is played, all subsequent plays must be made in crossword fashion either vertically or horizontally by incorporating at least one tile of an existing meld into your play.
Types of Moves
There are three types of moves:
-
Adding to an existing meld.
-
Forming a new meld by adding to an existing meld.
-
Opening a new section of the board by forming a new meld on a red start square. (This move is the only play that does not require the play to adjoin another and can be done at any time during the game.)
Scoring
Scores are recorded at the end of each turn.
The Ace is worth 1 point when played to a sequence, 15 points when played to a group. e.g. Q, K, A = 21 points; A, A, A = 45 points.
Ten, Jack, Queen & King - 10 points each.
Two through Nine - points are face value.
The Joker is wild and represents any card in the deck. Its scoring value is zero. Once used as a particular card it remains that card for the rest of the game. The Joker cannot be substituted by the tile it represents and removed from the board.
In adding to an existing meld, points are allotted only for the new tile(s) played.
In the course of forming new melds, incomplete melds of two tiles may result. While this is permitted, no points may be granted for it.
Colour Bonus Squares
YELLOW: Doubles the value of any tile placed on it.
GREEN: Triples the value of any tile placed on it.
ORANGE: Doubles the value of any meld placed on it.
BLUE: Triples the value of any meld placed on it.
Once a bonus square has been covered it may not be counted again. Should 2 bonus squares be covered on a single turn, they are both added to the score.
There is no bonus scored for a red start square.
Since three or more tiles represent a meld, a player adding to such a meld and covering an orange or blue bonus square in the process does not receive a bonus for the meld, but may apply the bonus to the new tile.
Gin
Each red start square marks a potential gin scoring area. When at least ten tiles interconnect with a red start square, gin is called. The player who has played the tenth tile scores a bonus of 100 points!
Players may continue to play around a red start square after gin is called. However, no further bonuses may be obtained, and tiles leading from one red square may not connect with tiles leading from another red start square.
End of the Game
When all the tiles in the draw pile have been used or cannot be used, and when no player can make a play to the board, the game is over. Each player subtracts the value of his unused tiles from his score. (Aces count 15, Jokers count zero.) The highest scoring player is the champ!
Examples of Scoring
Example 1. The 3 ♠ and 5 ♠ are played to the existing meld of three fours. The scoring is 12 points for the new sequence of 3, 4, 5 x 2. (The 5 is on an orange bonus square.) Total score earned for this turn: 24 points.
Example 2. The 6 ♦ and 6 ♣ are played to create three new melds. The player scores for each new meld. Each 6 played is covering a yellow bonus square.
- ♦ 5, 6, 7: 24 pts.
- ♣ 5, 6, 7: 24 pts.
- 6, 6, 6: 30 pts.
Total score earned for this turn: 78 points.
Example 3. The 10 ♥ is played to the existing meld of J, Q, K. This play does not create a new meld, it adds to one. Therefore the player scores only 10 points.
Example 4. The 8 ♣, 8 ♥ and 8 ♠ are played to the board creating a new meld of four eights on a blue bonus square, and making GIN! The score is 32 for the meld of eights x 3, plus 100 bonus points for GIN! Total score for this turn: 196 points!