What is an Undercut in Gin Rummy?
Short Answer
An undercut occurs when you knock but your opponent ends up with equal or lower deadwood than you (after laying off cards onto your melds). Instead of you scoring, your opponent receives a 25-point undercut bonus plus the deadwood difference.
How Undercuts Happen
- You knock with some deadwood (e.g., 8 points)
- Your opponent reveals their hand
- Opponent lays off cards onto your melds
- After layoffs, opponent's deadwood ≤ your deadwood
- Opponent scores the undercut bonus!
Example
You knock with 8 deadwood. Opponent has 12 deadwood but lays off 2 cards (worth 6 points) onto your runs. Their deadwood drops to 6. Since 6 < 8, they undercut you and score: 25 + (8-6) = 27 points.
Undercut Scoring
- Base bonus: 25 points (fixed)
- Difference: Knocker's deadwood minus defender's deadwood
- Total: 25 + difference
How to Avoid Being Undercut
- Knock with low deadwood: 5 or less is safest
- Go for Gin: No layoffs allowed means no undercut risk
- Watch their discards: If opponent discards high cards, they may have low deadwood
- Count the deck: Know what cards are still available for layoffs
Why Undercuts Matter
The 25-point swing (you losing potential points plus opponent gaining bonus) can dramatically affect the game. A single undercut can erase several rounds of careful play.