The object of the game is to score the highest number of points by laying all of your cards on the table before your opponent does. Place the remaining cards facedown in a stack, creating the 'stock.' Pick up the top card and place it faceup next to the stock.
Face cards are worth 10 points, and number cards have the value of their number. In Gin, aces always have a 1-point value. Deal 10 cards each, alternating between players.
Whoever draws the highest card deals the first hand. Each player draws a card, and then shuffles it back into the deck. Grab a friend, pull out a deck of cards, and get comfortable.