Gin Rummy makes for a great gambling game with real money stakes. With elements of skill and luck, Gin Rummy can be played with strategy to help get an advantageous edge. And I am not referring to the Casinos Edge here, for in a game of Gin Rummy, it's just you and the other player. Gin Rummy offers hours of excitement and skillful challenges to the gambler who likes to take their time and compete in a competitive, yet friendly gaming environment. Much like poker and certain game tournaments held at online casinos, the stakes at Gin Rummy can get very high. Tournaments abound both on the Web and at land-based casino destinations - attracting hundreds of Gin Rummy enthusiasts and aficionados. Even all-in-one internet gaming sites are beginning to offer Gin Rummy tournaments as part of their diverse gaming packages of skill games, internet poker, sports betting, and online casino games.

If you are serious about playing Gin Rummy for real money, whether in a tournament or heads-up against one other player, it is important to incorporate as much strategy as possible into your game. If you are already familiar with the rules of the games, the following summary - stock full of Gin Rummy terms and phrases - should sound familiar: 

• Always try to be the first player to Knock. If you put together two matching melds and are holding four or fewer unmatched cards, it's as good a time as any to knock. You will likely run out of time before getting a third meld. You will also make up points for your opponents unmatched cards.

• It is wise to knock as soon as possible, even it means getting undercut. In the grand scheme of things, getting undercut is far less worse than getting ginned by your opponent. Remember, it is more likely for your opponent to get gin that it is to undercut you. And when your opponent gets gin, the loss is far greater. If you have the choice between knocking and discarding a card that may very well give your opponent gin, do not hesitate to knock.   

• Always try and form three card sets (triangles), for these will give you the best chances of melding your hand later in the game. In addition to a triangle and melds, begin to shape your cache of low value cards.

• Draw from the discard pile carefully. When drawing cards from the discard pile, only do so when the card will serve to make or add to a preexisting meld. Do not draw from the discard pile if you are seeking the card to form a two-card combination for melds later in the game.

• Keep as many middle cards, such as 7's, as possible. These cards are the most versatile when it comes to forming combinations. The King and Ace are the least helpful cards of the deck.

• Don't save cards simply for making an inside straight in a three-card sequence, for this is half as likely to be completed as would be an outside straight. For instance, a 7/8 combo has two ways of being filled - 6/7/8 or 7/8/9. A 7/9, on the other hand, is half as likely to be filled with just only one card - the 8.

• If holding four or more unmatched face cards, begin discarding them right from the outset - no matter their combinations. Just try to vary the value of your discards from turn to turn, so as not to show a pattern for your opponent. Holding a single face card triangle is good for about six or seven draws. If the set is still not filled after this time, they should be the first to get discarded.

• Pay attention to you and your opponents discards. As a general rule of thumb, do your best to remember which cards your opponent has discarded. By doing so, you will start to develop an idea as to which cards they might need, which you should avoid discarding yourself. Also, be careful not to discard similar cards repeatedly. For instance, if you are discarding all of your face cards, turn after turn, your opponent may very well hold on to their own face card combo knowing you will likely discard the matching face card they will need to complete the set of a run.