Gin Rummy

Card memory is very important in the game of Gin because as the game progresses, you need to know what cards have been discarded and how to change your game by what melds you are going after.  However, card memory is not very easy to pull as many players are not blessed with a photogenic memory, so players have to train themselves to remember certain cards or focus on a few cards to remember in order to assist their game strategy.

One tool that many players use is to try to visualize all of the cards in the deck and then subtract the 10 cards that you are holding, and as your opponent discards and you discard, you can eliminate these cards from your visualization of the deck.  After the beginning of the game when cards are dealt and about 10 cards are drawn, you will have a good idea of what cards are remaining in the deck.  You should also know what cards your opponent is not only looking for but also what they are holding.  You also should notice the cards that you discarded that are picked up by your opponent as odds show that they will pick up discarded cards one out of three times.  It is important to review the cards that they picked up as it will be easier for you to get an idea of what they are holding.  The more that you play, the easier time you will have at using this strategy.  By using card memory it will allow you to ask yourself the questions required towards the end of the game if you have to change what melds you are shooting for.

Players with not so sharp memories have a tool that helps their memory which is simply repeating the cards they see to themselves to help reinforce which cards are still available.  However, this does not always work as players will play so many hands during one sitting that it is very hard for them to not only keep but also separate what they saw during a particular game.  Players confuse themselves by remembering too much and carrying this card memory to subsequent games, which is why it is important to clear your head after a game ends.