Rummy 500
Objective
Be the first player to reach 500 points. Points are earned by melding cards and lost for cards remaining in your hand when another player goes out.
The Basics
Rummy 500 (also called 500 Rum) is a multi-player Rummy game where players draw, meld, and discard over multiple rounds. Unlike Gin Rummy, melds are laid face-up on the table as you form them, and any player may lay off cards onto any existing meld — including an opponent's. The discard pile is face-up and accessible, which creates a strategic tension around when to take discards.
Card Values
- Number cards (2–9): face value
- 10, Jack, Queen, King: 10 points each
- Aces: 15 points (or 1 point if used in A-2-3)
Setup
Choose a dealer. Shuffle a standard 52-card deck (use two decks for 5+ players). Deal cards based on player count:
- 2 players: 13 cards each
- 3–5 players: 7 cards each
- 6+ players: 6 cards each
Place the remaining cards face-down as the Stock. Turn the top card face-up next to the Stock to start the Discard pile.
Melds
Melds are played to the table face-up for all to see:
- Set (Group): 3 or 4 cards of the same rank (e.g., K♠ K♦ K♣).
- Run (Sequence): 3 or more consecutive cards of the same suit (e.g., 7♥ 8♥ 9♥ 10♥). Aces are high or low but not both: A-2-3 and Q-K-A are valid; K-A-2 is not.
Laying Off: On your turn, you may also extend any existing meld on the table with additional valid cards from your hand. You play laid-off cards in front of yourself to track your own points.
Turn Structure
On each turn:
1. Draw
Take either:
- The top card of the Stock (secret — add to hand without showing).
- Any card from the Discard pile, even if it is not on top — but you must immediately use the taken card in a meld or as a lay-off, and you must also take every card above it in the pile into your hand.
2. Meld and/or Lay Off (Optional)
Play any valid Melds from your hand to the table. Lay off valid cards onto any existing meld. You may do as much or as little as you like.
3. Discard
End your turn by placing one card face-up on the Discard pile. You must discard even if you are going out. (Exception: you may go out without discarding if your very last card completes a meld.)
"Rummy!" Call
If a player discards a card that could be melded with cards already on the table, any other player (not the discarder) may immediately call "Rummy!" That player then takes the relevant portion of the Discard pile up to and including that card, immediately melds it, and completes their turn normally. Play then passes to the player left of the one who called Rummy, not left of the original discarder.
Going Out
A player goes out when they have played or discarded their last card. This ends the round. If the Stock runs out before anyone goes out, the round also ends — players do not deduct unplayed cards in this case.
Round Scoring
At the end of each round, each player calculates their score:
- Add: Total point value of all cards melded and laid off during the round.
- Subtract: Total point value of cards remaining in hand.
Running totals are kept across rounds.
Game End
The game ends when any player's cumulative total reaches or exceeds 500 points. If multiple players reach 500 in the same round, the player with the highest total wins.
Key Rules
- You may take any card from the discard pile, but you must take every card on top of it as well, and you must use the target card immediately.
- Laid-off cards go in front of you to track your points, even if they extend someone else's meld.
- Aces score 15 points as high cards; 1 point only if used in A-2-3.
- You must discard at the end of every turn, even when going out (unless your last card completes a meld).
At the Table
Watch the discard pile — it's public information and tells you what your opponents need (and what they're throwing away). Taking deep into the discard pile is powerful but gives your opponent a big hand of extra cards to burn. Time your meld plays to go out quickly and catch opponents with large unplayed hands.