Oklahoma Gin Strategy
The Rummy family contains a variety of games which are all based on the players' skills and strategic abilities. Oklahoma (and it's original version, Gin Rummy) is one of themore dominant and well known games in the industry, and is also adored by poker fans worldwide. In order to play Oklahoma Gin well, there are several strategies that should be followed, and also some strategic principles that, when adopted, will allow every player to improve his orher performance and ultimately lead them to a wining hand.
Alertness- Oklahoma is a fast paced, dynamic game. As such, the momentum can switch between players almost every turn. A player who stays concentrated for long enough will probably have a better chance and capability to analyze his or her opponents' condition. A focused player will not expect to see cards that were already thrown to the discard pile earlier in the round, and will know when the best time to get rid of high cards is.
The discard pile - every turn players throw cards that they do not need. A player who will track the cards thrown away will have two advantages. First, he or she will know what cards already left the game. Second, the player will have a clue asto what cards his or her opponents do not need.
Drawing- Oklahoma is played with only one deck of cards. Therefore it is important to remember the cards that were thrown away and to use opportunities for drawing cards that complete existing melds. In the beginning of the game it is recommended to draw from the deck in order to prevent one's opponents from knowing which cards he or she needs.
Throwing- at the end of every turn, players throw a card to the discard pile. Usually the card that's the least useful will be thrown, but since throwing cards provides information to competitors on the cards a playerhas in his or her hand, it is recommend putting some thought into what you throw. The further you are in the game, the higher the cards you should throw, this in order to reduce the potential deadwood count. If the player acting next in line picked up a card from a certain suit - wewill not throw a consecutive card from the same suit in order to avoid helping our opponent to complete a meld, and also to allow us to add thecard in case the opponent knocks.
A player who considers "knocking" would best do this at an early stage of the game in order to reduce the risk of getting caught with an undercut if their oppoent wins- which will result in 25 additional penalty points.
*Tip - You can play all of the Oklahom Gin games using cards orRummikub tiles. Everystrategy we have noted can be used for both options.
These were several strategic tips that work in every Oklahoma Gin game. Adhering tothese principles may give you a significant advantage over your opponents, or at least improve your overall performance helping you to win the game.
Note - Our Oklahoma Gin Strategy page does not contain all of the Oklahoma Gin Strategy tips but reading these tips will give you an advantage.
